The Path Ahead
by Liselle129
Summary: Aang and the others have some decisions to make after the eclipse. Now a rewrite of the second half of the third season. Ch 46: Epilogue. The story is complete.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: There's a lot of speculation flying around about what will happen in the next episode, so I'm compiling a few of my ideas. This begins virtually right after The Day of Black Sun.

Zuko Arrives 

It seemed that Appa had scarcely landed at the Western Air Temple before Sokka began spreading out his maps and regarding them intensely and frantically. Katara finished helping the others unpack and set up a sort of camp in the ruins of the temple. Once the immediate work seemed to be done, she went over to her brother curiously.

"We have to figure out where she is and rescue her," he muttered, half to himself. Katara knew what he was talking about, but she had to find a way to snap him out of it. They needed him to be clear-headed.

"Sokka…" she began tentatively, reaching out a hand to touch his shoulder. He swatted it away.

"Don't talk to me unless you have ideas!" he snapped. "She's been waiting for me for weeks, maybe months. I'm not just going to leave her there!" Aang and Toph approached, but the three new additions to their group kept their distance, appearing to understand that there was nothing they could do.

"And where is there, exactly?" Aang asked softly. Sokka jerked his head up and looked around desperately at Aang, Katara, and Toph. The pain and loss in his expression made Katara's throat constrict, but she forced words out through it anyway.

"I'm sorry, Sokka, but we don't have the time or the resources to go after Suki now," she said gently. "She'll just have to wait with the others."

"Katara's right," Toph added. "She could still be held somewhere in the Earth Kingdom for all we know. Our best chance of freeing her and the rest is to finish Aang's training so that he can stop the war."

Sokka stared at her for a few, long moments. Finally, tears in his eyes, he tossed the scrolls aside and stalked off.

"He knows we're right," Katara sighed. "He just needs a few minutes to himself." Aang nodded, walked a few steps, and then turned back toward her.

"I have to learn firebending now," he said. "But how am I supposed to do that?" Before Katara could answer him, Teo's voice interrupted them.

"Um, guys?"

Katara and Aang both turned to look at him. Teo was pointing toward the sky. Following his finger, a red spot in the sky was just visible.

"Is that one of the Fire Nation balloons?" The Duke asked.

"It has to be," Haru decided.

"How could they have followed us? We were so far ahead!" Katara exclaimed in frustration. Couldn't they just be left alone for a little while?

"They might have just guessed," Toph pointed out. "I mean, we have the last airbender with us; it's not that hard to figure out we might head for the nearest temple."

"I'm sorry," Aang apologized. "I should have thought of that."

"Never mind," Katara cut him off. Sokka feeling desperate and hopeless was all she could handle right now, and she wasn't about to let Aang start in on his perceived failures. "You know this place, and Teo knows the balloons. I think you should both start working out a defense plan in case there are more behind this one."

"Should we get Sokka?" The Duke offered tentatively. "I mean, isn't he kind of the plan guy?" Katara looked in the direction her brother had gone, and then squinted back up at the sky.

"I think we can give him a little more time," she concluded. "I'd guess that balloon will take at least an hour to get here." She looked to Aang and Teo for confirmation and, after conferring for a moment, they agreed with her estimate. The pair then sat down and began making plans.

"What do you want me to do?" Haru asked her, accepting her as a leader, much as he'd done before.

"You and Toph rebuild some of these walls," Katara instructed. "We can take cover there. Leave some openings, though. We can lob rocks through them when the balloon gets in range." She set The Duke to searching the more intact portions of the temple to see if there was anything usable. She didn't expect there to be, but he needed a task. With everyone set to work, she did some experiments with how much water she could pull up and how fast, preparing herself for a fight.

Finally, it was time for the hardest thing of all – talking to Sokka. She decided he'd had enough time to sulk in his own thoughts, so she found him and explained the situation. As she'd hoped, he came to life again with the idea of a new challenge, and it wasn't long before he had a whole battle plan laid out.

Fairly soon, however, it began to look like a comprehensive strategy would not be necessary. No more balloons appeared to join the first one as it grew steadily larger.

"It looks like there's only one person on it," Haru remarked, shading his eyes as he looked at it. Katara squinted as hard as she could but couldn't make out more than a rough blur where the basket was. Haru must have extraordinarily sharp eyes.

"It's Zuko," Aang said suddenly.

"What? How could you possibly know that?" Sokka demanded.

"I don't know; I just do," Aang shrugged.

"So, what do we do?" Toph wondered, cutting right to the chase as usual and forestalling any argument.

"Well, he came alone," said Sokka thoughtfully. "That doesn't sound like he's planning to attack us. Maybe we should just let him land and see what he wants." Katara stared at him in disbelief.

"Who is he?" The Duke asked. He'd found a few intact gliders and was laying them on the ground.

"The Prince of the Fire Nation," Toph tossed off casually. This left the three newcomers gaping at her, but she probably couldn't see that.

"Leave him to me," Katara announced. "I don't think it's a good idea to let him land on his terms or to leave that balloon intact, no matter what his intentions are."

"You make some good points," Sokka conceded. "Are you sure?"

"I can handle it. Besides, if you're right, and he's not planning to attack, I shouldn't be in any danger, right?" Her eyes locked with his, and he gave in, as he always did when she dug in. A short time later, as she prepared to get onto Appa, Aang came up to her.

"Katara…" He didn't need to say any more. She knew what he was asking.

"I won't try to hurt him," she promised. He gave her a boost, and she climbed onto Appa's head. Once up there, she added under her breath, "…much." Appa's saddle had been taken off, but that was no problem for her. Katara picked up the reins.

"All right, Appa, get me up there. Yip yip." Once he was in flight, she pulled the water from both of the pouches she had and readied it. She waited until Zuko (she recognized him now) was over the patch of land she'd selected. While Appa made a pass by the balloon, she sliced the water right through it, using one of her techniques from the invasion. The basket began to plummet down. Katara circled Appa around again, but Zuko was already reacting. He'd climbed up onto the edge, and when he got to about ten feet from the ground, he jumped, rolling as he landed and springing back up to his feet again. His swords shifted during his movement, but they remained in their sheath across his back.

Katara didn't much like him being upright until she knew what he wanted. She grabbed as much water from the ocean as she could easily manage and drove it over him in a fierce wave, knocking him onto his back. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the rest of the group closing into a loose circle around the intruder. To her surprise, Zuko merely lay there, gazing at the sky with an inscrutable expression.

"I deserved that," he remarked placidly. "Are we done here, or would you like to hit me again?"

Katara paused, confused. His offer was extraordinarily tempting, but Katara thought it might be even more satisfying to punch him directly with her fists. No sooner had she decided to do exactly that than she felt a hand on her arm. There was not enough force in it to really restrain her, just enough to get her attention, and she looked down at it, then its owner.

It was Aang, of course. He did not say anything; he didn't have to. He simply looked pleadingly at her with those big, gray eyes, and she knew that he wanted her to stand down. Katara sighed and let the water run down the hill toward the sea, wondering if Aang knew that she couldn't resist that look of his.

"It's no fun if you're not fighting back," Katara called out grouchily to Zuko, who cautiously began to get up. "But no sudden movements."

"Is somebody gonna introduce me?" demanded Toph, standing with her arms folded across her chest. Katara realized that Toph had not really met Zuko yet.

"Sure," Aang took the duty upon himself. "Toph, this is Prince Zuko, son of Fire Lord Ozai. Zuko, meet Toph, the greatest earthbender in the world."

"So, you're Iroh's nephew?" Toph asked, walking up to him belligerently.

"Yes," Zuko acknowledged.

"Well, he said there was good in you, and that's enough for me," Toph decided, punching Zuko in the arm hard enough to make him wince. Katara almost smiled at the thought that one hardly needed enemies with Toph for a friend.

"Look, I know I'm about the last person you want to see right now," Zuko addressed the group. "You might not believe me, but I want to join you."

Absolute silence reigned as everybody tried to process this. Sokka was the one to break it.

"You've finally lost it, haven't you?' he accused. "I knew it was only a matter of time."

Zuko actually smiled, and that unfamiliar expression on the prince's scarred face made Katara inclined to agree with her brother's assessment. It just didn't look right.

"I can think of many people who probably think that," he confessed. "The truth is, I've recently realized that the person I thought I was supposed to be isn't who I am."

"Sorry, could you repeat that?" asked Sokka, but Katara interrupted.

"Aang, you're the one he almost…" _got killed_ was what she had intended to say, but she choked on the words. The Avatar's near-death experience was still not something she'd completely dealt with, though she knew she would have to do so eventually. "It's your decision."

"I'll listen to him," Aang decided, upon reflection. Katara didn't understand his willingness to forgive, but she'd already agreed to abide by his decision. She nodded grudgingly, and they all sat down together. The sun was setting, so The Duke and Haru collected firewood, and Zuko lit it.

"First of all, Aang, I wanted to say I'm sorry," Zuko said, and Katara started. She'd never heard Zuko address Aang by name before. "I know I've been a…terrible person." He glanced sideways at Katara when he said the last part, and she recognized her own words coming back at her.

"Is that why you're here?" Katara broke in, unable to help herself. "To apologize? I think it's going to take a little more than that, don't you?"

"Maybe we should let him finish," Toph suggested. Katara bit her lip, seething inwardly but conceding to let the prince say his piece.

"No, you're right," Zuko answered Katara, mollifying her a little. "I know saying 'I'm sorry' isn't close to enough to make up for what I've done, but it's a start. I've also come to offer to teach Aang firebending. If you want me to." This last sentence was said as he turned back to Aang.

"Really? You'd teach me?" Aang seemed interested, almost excited.

"Yes. You asked me once if we might have been friends if things had been different. I didn't answer you very politely at the time, but I'd like to give that a try now."

Katara frowned. When had this conversation taken place, and why didn't she know about it? She still didn't trust him.

"I still don't understand why you're doing this now," she said bluntly, figuring that Zuko had said what he was going to. "Didn't you have everything you wanted in the palace?" The firebender turned his baleful, golden gaze onto her and gave her a half smile.

"That's just it," he replied. "I did what I did in Ba Sing Se to get everything I thought I wanted, and I did: my old title, a welcome back home, servants waiting on me, a place at my father's side, and even a girlfriend. But it turned out that I didn't really want those things after all. It all felt empty and hollow.

"I still enjoyed it, for a while. It wasn't me, though, and I gradually began to realize that. I also learned something I didn't know before. Avatar Roku was my mother's grandfather."

A stunned silence greeted this pronouncement, and Katara felt her jaw drop. Zuko and Aang were connected in this way. Was that why Zuko always seemed to be able to find them when no one else could, and why Aang had sensed who was coming? Finally, Toph began to laugh.

"So, you're saying that Twinkle-toes is your great-grandfather?" she managed to squeak out, between giggles. Katara didn't find it all that funny. In fact, thinking of it that way felt downright weird.

"In a way, I guess," Zuko admitted, grinning back at her. Aang raised his eyebrows, also looking briefly amused, but he sobered quickly.

"Do you know of the history of Roku and Sozin?" he asked seriously. Zuko nodded.

"Yes, I do," he added verbally. "So you see, I'm the product of both the Fire Lord and the Avatar, stuck in between two worlds. That's why I had so much trouble figuring out where I fit in. Uncle says I'm the only person with the potential to…redeem our family. I'm just looking for that chance."

"Let me get this straight," Haru put in. "You're willing to help Aang bring down your father?" Zuko nodded solemnly.

"Well, I stood against my father when he was wrong," Teo added tentatively.

"I'm guessing this is a little different," said Sokka, gazing speculatively at Zuko, who looked sad for a moment, making Katara wonder exactly what had passed between father and son to lead him to this decision.

"Probably," replied Zuko shortly, clearly unwilling to talk about it. "Uncle was more of a father to me than my own ever was. I should have figured that out sooner."

"Where is Iroh?" Toph asked him.

"I don't know. He escaped on his own during the eclipse."

"Well, I hope he's okay. I liked him."

"Me, too," Aang added. "He gives really good advice." For some reason, he glanced at Katara when he said this. She furrowed her brow with confusion. Apparently, Aang and Iroh had had some time to talk while they were looking for her in the caverns under Ba Sing Se.

After a little more discussion, Sokka suggested they take a vote. Although some had reservations, all agreed to allow Zuko to join their group.

"One condition, though," Sokka insisted of Zuko. "Stop smiling. It's creepy." The firebender struggled to maintain a straight face while everybody else laughed, even Katara.

--

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, MormonMaiden, libowiekitty, Snows of Yester-Year, La Vixen de Amor, chocolatecoveredbananacheese, Aangy, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Author's Note: At the moment, I have ideas that will cover about two more chapters. That's not to say I might not go beyond that, but that's what I have planned at the moment.


	2. Chapter 2: Firebending

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Wow! 16 reviews in the first 12 hours! And 2 after that! This story looks to be my most popular since Destiny's Call ended. Thank you, everyone!

Firebending 

The group was quiet the next morning as they ate their breakfast. Zuko didn't mind this. He'd never seen the point in filling up the silence with idle chatter. Eventually, however, he noticed the boy called Sokka eyeing him speculatively.

"Your uncle plays Pai Sho, right?" Sokka said finally, stroking his chin as he thought.

"He loves it," Zuko acknowledged warily, wondering where this was going. "Almost as much as he loves tea."

"Aang, show him the tile we got from Piandao."

"The…why?" the Avatar blinked at him, looking just as confused as Zuko felt.

"Call it a hunch," Sokka replied, his eyes narrowed. Aang shrugged, rummaged in a small, cloth pouch, and extracted the round tile. He handed it over to Zuko, whose eyes widened as he took it.

"The white lotus!" he exclaimed, turning it over as though the tile's image would change as he flipped it. "Where did you get this?"

"A swordmaster who trained Sokka gave it to us," the waterbender interjected. Zuko remembered that her name was Katara. "Why?"

"Does it mean something?" Sokka added his own question. Zuko frowned, wondering how much to tell them. Of course, they had accepted him despite all of their past animosity, so he supposed he owed them something. He tossed the tile back to Aang, who caught it deftly.

"I don't know everything," Zuko admitted. "I just know that Uncle Iroh is part of some mysterious group. They call themselves flowers, and the organization seems to cross all boundaries. Members use the white lotus tile to introduce themselves."

"So the sword guy was part of the group, too?" the little, blind earthbender put in.

"Could be," Zuko mused. "I think we now know where Uncle might have gone after he escaped."

"You really think so?" Katara pressed. Zuko shrugged.

"I have no idea how many members might be in the Fire Nation," he said. "There was a man in the Earth Kingdom who helped us because of this group, so I think Uncle would have gone to another flower, if he could."

Sokka was tapping at his teeth, and Katara looked at him suspiciously.

"You're not planning to go after him, are you?" she challenged. He made a valiant effort at appearing innocent, but even Zuko wasn't buying it, and he hardly knew him.

"Not immediately," Sokka temporized. "We need some time to re-group, and Aang should start learning firebending."

"He and I can start while the rest of you work everything else out," Zuko suggested, already gazing around for a good spot.

"What? Now?" Aang sounded a little nervous.

"I can't think of a better time."

"No, right, but…" the Avatar glanced around his companions briefly. "We need to go away from the others." Zuko nodded, but he noticed the mistrustful look Katara tossed at him.

"Do you have to go alone?" she addressed her question to Aang.

"Yes, I do," he answered, a firmness in his tone that Zuko had seldom heard from him. "Please, Katara." She still hesitated, and Zuko tried to seem as harmless as possible. He even left his swords on the ground, where they'd been while he slept. He could understand her reticence, and he knew that she would be the hardest to win over.

"I'd really rather not have a lot of fire raging nearby," the little boy with the helmet interjected. Katara flicked her eyes to him, then back to Zuko.

"You've destroyed my balloon, and there are no boats," he reminded her, spreading his hands in a gesture of supplication. "We're not going anywhere." She still hesitated but finally jerked her head in acquiescence.

The two boys found a place to practice just out of sight of the rest of the group, a rocky ledge with little to burn. Aang took up the basic, wide-legged firebending stance, and Zuko was glad to see that he at least knew that much.

"Have you learned any firebending at all?" he began by asking.

"Well…Master Jeong Jeong taught me a little, but he mostly just left me to breathe for hours."

"Breath is important for firebending," Zuko pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'm an airbender. I know all about controlling breath." Aang paused before adding, "What I need to know is how to control fire."

A lot of pieces were coming together in Zuko's mind at the moment, and when he spoke again, he chose his words carefully.

"You burned someone." It wasn't a question, and Aang's only response was to look down. Zuko continued. "It was her, wasn't it?" Aang glanced up at him sharply, then nodded miserably. Neither of them needed to say which "her" it was. Zuko had actually long suspected a deep relationship forming between the Avatar and the waterbender. The ferocity with which they protected one another was unlike anything Zuko had ever seen. It must have been terrible for Aang to have caused Katara pain, so Zuko recognized that there might be a mental block to overcome.

"She must have healed herself," the firebender pondered aloud. "I haven't seen any burns."

"That was when she learned she could use waterbending to heal."

"That's a useful ability."

"Yes." Aang was silent for a moment. "I swore I would never firebend again, but I think I've accepted now that it's something I have to learn. Fire is as much a part of me as any other element."

"That's a good start," Zuko approved. "The best way to avoid accidents is to learn how to control your ability."

"Is that how you got hurt?" Aang asked suddenly, pointing to Zuko's face. "A training accident?" Zuko flinched, though he knew he should have expected this question to come up eventually. He raised the fingers of his left hand to touch his cheekbone.

"This was no accident," he answered simply.

"Oh." The Avatar's tone was curious, but he didn't press for more, which Zuko appreciated as he considered the situation. He had never told anyone about the circumstances surrounding his scar. The people who had witnessed the Agni Kai – if that's what you could honestly call it – just knew, obviously, and the word had spread. Zuko had never felt the need to tell anyone else, but for the first time, he was thinking about sharing his story. It would be an act of friendship, wouldn't it? He lowered his hand back to his side.

"My father gave me this," he said finally. Aang's jaw dropped, and his eyes widened.

"Why?" he managed. It was a reasonable question, since Zuko had already told him it wasn't an accident.

"To teach me my place." Zuko's lips twisted into a wry expression. "I guess it didn't take."

"I'm sorry, Zuko," Aang responded, and he seemed to mean it.

"I was thirteen," the prince murmured, almost forgetting that he was not alone. "Not much older than you. She offered to heal it, you know."

"Katara?" Aang blinked as he tried to catch up with Zuko's thought processes, and a flicker of what might have been jealousy crossed his face before it was squelched. "What exactly happened between you two in that cave, anyway?"

"Not much, really,' Zuko replied honestly. "She yelled at me, we talked a little, and she said she could free me from my scar. She thought the spirit water might work."

"She used that to save my life."

"I suspected as much."

Silence fell between them again. At last, Zuko drew a breath, deciding it was time to get down to business.

"Well, we didn't come out here to chat," he remarked. "It's time to work on some firebending."

"Okay." The Avatar sounded nervous but determined.

"I think we should begin with control exercises," Zuko announced. A shadow crossed the younger boy's face. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm okay," Aang recovered quickly. "It's a good idea, actually. That's sort of where things broke down before."

"All right." Zuko cast around for something to use and discovered a tough shrub poking through a crevice in the rock. He broke off a twig, determining that it was green enough for his purposes, and set one end smoldering. "Take this, and focus on the fire. Feel its presence; make it a part of you."

Aang took it in his hand and frowned at it, concentrating. When Zuko decided he had done that enough, he spoke again.

"Very good," he said. "Now, think of the fire as an extension of your breath. Make your breathing regular. When you breathe in, lower the flame as though sucking it in, and when you breathe out, make it flare up."

Aang put the fire completely out on his first inhalation. Zuko had half expected this, and he simply lit the wood again. He used his own bending to moderate the fire from then on, to keep it from going out on the one end and prevent it from flaring up uncontrollably on the other and incinerating his teaching tool. As Aang got the feel of it, Zuko gradually backed off on his interference, until Aang was creating a rhythmic pulse completely on his own.

Eventually, of course, the twig did get burned up, so Zuko selected another to work with for the next phase of exercises. This time, he set the ignited brush on the rock and told Aang to try to put the fire out while Zuko tried to make it flare up; then, they switched roles. During this exercise, Zuko quickly found out that Aang was tremendously powerful. When Aang wanted the fire out, it was out no matter what Zuko did. On the other hand, it took all of Zuko's strength to suppress Aang's fire at all, and he strongly suspected the Avatar was still holding back a little on that. Of course, he didn't tell Aang how hard he was working to counter him. By the time the sun rose to its highest point, however, Zuko felt drained and was only too happy to call a break for lunch.

When they got back to camp, Katara immediately went to Aang and made sure he was all right. Zuko briefly answered the questions of the others regarding Aang's progress thus far and sat down to eat. Oddly enough, it felt good to eat outside again, and despite the much simpler fare, the food seemed to taste better than it had in the palace. To his surprise, the female earthbender (Toph, someone had called her) came to sit beside him.

"I think I know what you mean," she informed him without any preamble. "About trying to be something you're not."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, my parents don't really understand me, either. They always thought I couldn't do much because I'm blind. They tried to protect me from everything – even life itself, I guess. I let them think I was this fragile, little thing for a long time."

Although protection had seemed to be the last thing on his father's mind, Zuko found that he did understand her situation. In a way, their histories complimented each other – his father throwing Zuko into circumstances he wasn't ready for in an effort to toughen him, and Toph's parents trying to shield her from challenges for which she was more than capable.

"They knew you were an earthbender, though, right?" he asked curiously. She snorted.

"Yeah, barely," she replied dismissively. "They hired a guy that was supposed to be a great master to teach me, but he was under strict instructions to only cover the basics. Nothing too strenuous for their tender flower, you know."

"So how did you really learn?" Zuko found himself getting absorbed in her story. He'd already seen some of what she could do, and judging from what she'd obviously taught Aang, she had to be incredible. She also didn't really act blind most of the time, and he made a mental note to ask her more about that later.

"A pair of badger-moles lives under the mountain where my parents' house is. They were nice enough to teach me."

Zuko tried to picture this tiny girl making covert excursions into caves in order to learn her art from giant beasts. The image was at once humorous and awe-inspiring.

"Getting good instruction wasn't the problem for me," he told her. "It was keeping up with the lessons. My sister was always the prodigy."

"You know, that doesn't inspire much confidence in the person who's teaching the Avatar," Toph remarked. There was a time when Zuko would have been severely offended by such a comment, but he was a different person now. Besides, he sensed that she was trying to get under his skin, confirmed by the smirk on her face, and he was determined not to give her the satisfaction.

"I got better over the years," he assured her good-naturedly. "I had the greatest teacher in the world for the last three, and I can pass on the techniques, even if I'm not as good as he is." Zuko only wished he had been quicker to appreciate his uncle. He still hoped he could find him and ask for forgiveness.

"If you say so," Toph shrugged. "My teachers couldn't even talk, so I'm not about to say what works and what doesn't. My style is really different from Katara's."

"I'll bet," Zuko muttered under his breath. From their brief association, he was already wondering how those two became part of the same group. Aloud, he added, "I don't think anyone has Aang's potential, anyway. He's got to be stronger than any of us." When Toph speared a piece of her food with unnecessary aggression, Zuko guessed that he had struck a sore point and grinned at his accomplishment. Evidently, Aang was able to surpass her in some areas, and it irked her a little. Zuko was used to having people around him who were more skilled, so it didn't bother him.

As Zuko and Aang stood on a small rise on their way to train some more, Zuko looked back at the ragtag group and had a strange feeling come over him, something he could only call a sense of belonging. Perhaps it made sense that he would finally find his place among a bunch of misfits, since that was exactly what he was. Accepting that fact had made him a lot happier.

Smiling, Zuko followed Aang to their chosen spot, planning out the next lessons.

--

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, MormonMaiden, libowiekitty, Snows of Yester-Year, La Vixen de Amor, chocolatecoveredbananacheese, Aangy, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Author's Note: I just had to throw the Toko hint in there. I'm really looking forward to seeing how Toph and Zuko interact.

Review responses:

jliljj: You're welcome, and I hope you enjoyed this one, too.

pinguinolatino: I'm certainly trying!:)

kitkat1327: I tried to update quickly.

IceFire9: That's what I was going for. Looking at how Katara treated Jet when she met him again, I can only imagine her reaction to Zuko. In some ways, she might blame herself for believing he could change, and she won't want to make that mistake again.

SnakeEyes16: I think at least some aspects will be correct. Really, what fun would it be if I got every detail right?:) I provided some speculation on where Iroh might have gone here, but I have no immediate plans to "find" him.

trekker4life: A lot of people liked that line, and it was one of the first things I wanted to make sure to work into this story.

airnaruto45: I don't know about your theory, but if Iroh has an Avatar in his bloodline, it was a very long time ago. Remember that Roku was _Ursa's _grandfather, so his blood didn't get into the family until she married Ozai.

frizzyhairedloon: Of course they ended it with a cliffhanger! They want to garner interest for the rest of the season. Anyway, I'm happy you're enjoying my take on what the future might hold.

Katara2102: Zuko has been smiling more this season, but it just doesn't look right. I usually try to throw a little humor in somewhere. After all, that's part of what's great about the show!

MastaDrummer22: Well, I could just see Sokka reacting that way.

kataanglovr52 & BlackRose108: Thank you. I'm trying, but this is harder than it looks.

Ari-Griffin: Great, thank you!

Amira Elizabeth: Wow, it must have been good to get you to review it! Thank you very much, and I suppose it's true that most of the post-eclipse stories are Zutara, but I'm ignoring them.

DuHSPaZZiNGFeL: Well, I wasn't trying to write the entire episode, really, just a few highlights I think might be included or that I would like to see. That last line of Sokka's was very popular.

Justcallmewolfy: I thought Zuko was pretty creepy in The Guru when he was all bouncy and happy, so I sort of sprung off from that. IC is always what I strive for. Yep, I'm planning to address the kiss in the next chapter. And, spoiler alert, there will probably be a couple more!

prettygirl17: Like I said, it's just a few of my thoughts. I think some of it is very likely, but I expect there to be some surprises in the real thing. Glad you liked it!

Aangs fangirl1214: Thank you! Yeah, I think it would be fun to tease Aang about being Zuko's great-grandfather.


	3. Chapter 3: Cosmic Energy

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I would like to make a few general comments regarding things several people have said or asked. First, I have not seen The Western Air Temple. I wrote the first two chapters before I even knew it was available, and I didn't want it to influence my writing for this one. I probably won't even have the time to attempt seeing it on my computer until after Christmas. Secondly, I was not setting out to write an entire episode; I just wanted to hit some highlights of things I either expected or wanted to see, so I know I'm skipping things, and I've shortened the time frame of events to make the story manageable and maintain continuity. Finally, I was largely basing character reactions to Zuko on Jet's return in Lake Laogai, where they pretty much accepted him within hours. In my view, Jet's betrayal was far worse because he intentionally gained the trio's trust in order to use them for his own purposes. Zuko didn't lie, deceive, or misrepresent himself. The only person Zuko truly betrayed was Iroh. I can understand Katara holding a grudge because we know she's that kind of person, but my guess is that she's more angry with herself for believing Zuko could change than at him, and she doesn't want to make the same mistake twice.

Cosmic Energy 

In the evening, Aang and Katara went walking on their own, exploring the deserted slopes around the temple. Aang was tired from his lessons with Zuko, but he wanted to make sure to have some time alone with Katara. It was the first chance they'd had since the invasion.

"So…how's firebending?" Katara began. Aang could detect the hint of disapproval in her tone.

"You don't like him," he said, not answering the question. Katara had not spoken to Zuko all day, except for her question about Iroh. She had seemed to regret even that and had studiously avoided him ever since.

"Like him?" Katara looked and sounded as though Aang had just made the most preposterous suggestion she'd ever heard. "I don't think I'll ever _like _him, but that's not the point. I don't trust him, Aang. He's not a steady character. He'll move to whichever side will give him the most advantage."

Aang mulled this over. As far as he could tell, this was the first time Zuko had truly changed allegiances. While he didn't know all of Zuko's reasons for this and wasn't aware of the details of his departure, Aang sensed that his desire to help them was genuine. On the other hand, it didn't hurt to be wary at this stage.

"Well, I need him right now, no matter what his motives are," he decided aloud. "We talked a little during my lessons, and…his life hasn't been that easy, either."

"I've been down this road before," Katara pointed out, moving away angrily. "He actually got me to feel sympathy for him…and it blew up in my face!"

"Katara," Aang said softly, coming up behind her. "He wasn't the one who struck me down. It was Azula."

"But he chose to fight with her!"

"I know, and we may never understand his reasons for that. But would you want to be held responsible for everything Sokka does?"

"My brother would never do anything like that!" Katara objected hotly.

"Of course not," Aang responded imperturbably. "Sokka is brave and loyal, and I couldn't ask for a better friend. That's not what I asked you. I know you don't always agree with him. So what I'm saying is, would you want to be judged based on everything he's ever done?"

"I suppose not," she conceded reluctantly. "Remember Kyoshi Island?"

"Yes, I remember," Aang smiled faintly when he recalled how Sokka had insulted the island's warriors, forcing Katara to step in to prevent all three of them from being thrown to the Unagi. "Now, your brother is a very good person, generally, but you admit that he sometimes does things you don't want to be associated with. Imagine how much harder it must be for someone whose father and sister are…are…" Aang floundered, uncertain how to finish that sentence.

"Megalomaniac psychopaths?" Katara supplied helpfully. Aang half smiled and shrugged, and Katara laughed. "You're too generous, Aang, but I see what you mean."

"Besides, I can't help thinking the results in Ba Sing Se would have been pretty much the same with or without Zuko," Aang went on.

"He slowed us down!" Katara argued. "If had just been Azula, we might have gotten away."

"I've replayed things a lot of times since I woke up, and if there's one thing I learned about Azula during the eclipse, it's that she's always two or three steps ahead of us. She doesn't leave anything to chance, and I have to think that would include Zuko's involvement."

"You think she guaranteed his help somehow?"

"Not really. I think she worked everything out so she could win whether he joined her or not."

"I did originally think it was a trap for you," admitted Katara.

"Exactly. If she knew I was coming, she would have been prepared," Aang agreed, nodding. "I have no idea why she put Zuko in there with you, but she had the entire Dai Li at her disposal. She didn't need Zuko, but maybe she wanted to make it look like she did."

"This is all too devious for me."

"Don't sell yourself short," Aang replied jokingly, which earned him a glare. "Anyway, you made some good arguments earlier, and it does make sense for one of us to be suspicious. Sokka's too busy worrying about Suki and the other prisoners, and I have to trust Zuko enough to teach me. Toph seems to be warming up to him already, and the others…"

"Are still sort of outsiders, too," Katara finished for him. "All right, then. Not trusting Zuko will be my job."

"I'm counting on that," Aang told her. They walked together in silence for a while, eventually reaching a western slope where they could watch the sun setting into the sea. Looking at it reminded Aang that he had not yet answered her question about firebending. She had probably forgotten all about it. Zuko didn't have him creating his own fire yet, but they were going to start that tomorrow. Aang was a little apprehensive about that. Although Zuko had tried not to make an issue of it, Aang knew that he was stronger, and it made him worry whether Zuko could really keep him in check if his bending got out of hand. However, that wasn't what he wanted to discuss right now.

"This must have been a nice place," Katara sighed as she looked around at the view.

"Yeah," Aang agreed. "I didn't spend much time here, though. It was only for girls, after all."

"So, what were airbender girls like?"

"Oh, well, you know, free-spirited and fun, and all very pretty," he tossed off casually, sensing an opportunity to tease her a little.

"I think you're joking," she decided.

"You'll never know," he shot back. Then he sighed in his turn, growing more serious. "This was probably the first place hit when Sozin made his move." It had been the closest target, after all. Katara took his hand and squeezed it.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to remind you."

"It's okay," he replied, shaking his head. "I've probably been avoiding it too much, really. The girls were a lot like the boys, only they didn't shave their heads. I never could figure out how they kept their long hair straight and orderly. In some ways, I think they had to be better than we did because part of their attention always had to be on keeping their hair out of the way."

"Well, that is why I keep my hair braided most of the time."

"Yeah. It looks nice down, though." Aang paused, blushing, and turned toward Katara. He was nervous, but there was something he thought they should address. "You know, we haven't really talked about…well, about what I did…before the invasion – or maybe during it, depending how you look at it – I mean, before I left…." He trailed off, waiting for Katara's response.

"You kissed me," she stated flatly.

"Uh, yes, that. Maybe I should explain. It might have been a stupid, impulsive thing to do, but I was just thinking that I'd missed so many chances already, and words just seemed to screw everything up, and if something bad happened, well, it was one thing I'd really have regretted not doing." Aang ended breathlessly when he finally ran out of words. Katara didn't say anything, either; she just closed the short distance between them and pressed her lips briefly to his.

"Now we're even," she informed him, smiling mysteriously.

"So…you didn't mind?" Aang was still trying to get a grasp on the situation.

"I was a little surprised, but no, I didn't mind." She released his hand and moved away a little, fidgeting nervously. "In fact, there's something I should tell you, something I probably should have said a long time ago. The truth is – I love you."

A burning sensation rose in Aang's stomach, and all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and kiss her again. However, history had taught him to be cautious. He hesitated for a moment to make sure it wasn't a dream or anything. When he didn't seem to be waking up, he spoke.

"Okay, just so there's no misunderstanding, you don't mean like – like family, or something?" When Katara regarded him with utter incredulity, Aang drew himself up defensively. "I'm sorry, it's just that I've been in love with you since the first time I saw you, and I really want to be clear on this point."

Katara's features softened, and her expression became inscrutable, but there was something in her eyes as she approached him once again that sent a shiver down Aang's spine. She drew close and twined her arms around his neck, bringing her face mere inches from his. His heart was pounding so fast he could hardly tell one beat from another.

"I love you," she said softly, "like this." She leaned down and kissed him again. This one was lingering, full of long-suppressed emotions and desires. Aang gave himself up to it, secure at last in the realization of his daydreams. He felt as if something near the top of his head broke loose, and he was soaring, merging with the sky…

Abruptly, Katara pulled away. When Aang opened his eyes, she was standing just out of reach, gazing at him with a wide-eyed expression.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" Aang asked, concerned.

"No, nothing like that. It's just…you were…glowing."

"Glowing?"

"Yes. You know, Avatar glowing!"

Instinctively, Aang looked at his hands but saw nothing unusual.

"It was only for a second," Katara clarified. "I saw this light behind my eyelids, so I opened my eyes, and it startled me so much, I broke off."

While she was giving her explanation, Aang was thinking furiously. The seventh chakra…the top of his head…he had an idea of what had happened.

"Stand back," he instructed. "I want to try something." Katara obeyed, withdrawing far enough that Aang could scarcely make out her shape in the fading light. Closing his eyes, Aang concentrated, reaching out for the channels of energy he could sense around him. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and knew that he had finally succeeded in finding the Avatar State intentionally. Everything looked…different, like a lot of pictures overlaying each other, yet sharper than he'd ever seen before. The darkness didn't seem to hamper his vision anymore.

Experimentally, Aang rose off the ground in a whirl of air. It felt effortless. He made a cyclone around himself and used it to carry him out to sea. Once there, he made the water into a gigantic whirlpool. Mindful of his friends on the island, however, he made sure the waters didn't rise and flood. Deciding that he had learned what he needed for the moment, he returned to the spot where he'd left Katara and became himself again.

"You did it!" Katara exclaimed, throwing herself at him with such force that he nearly stumbled backward.

"_We _did it," he corrected absently as he held her around the waist and considered the ramifications of this discovery. Katara pulled back to regard him curiously.

"What do you mean, we? What do I have to do with this?"

"Everything." Aang was certain this was true, and he kissed her again to show his gratitude. Katara wouldn't be distracted for long, however, and she pushed herself away.

"I'm happy for you, but I don't understand. I thought you were cut off from cosmic energy?"

"I was." Aang disentangled himself and began to pace as he talked things out. "But love _is _cosmic energy. Maybe I should have realized that before."

"You said you'd always loved me, though," Katara pointed out shyly, after a pause. "Why couldn't you use that?"

"It wasn't enough." Aang stopped and began gesturing in the air. "It's like this. Imagine a river flowing between two towns. One town decides to build the bridge, but they can only go halfway without the other town's permission. Well, half a bridge doesn't do anyone any good, right?"

"Right," said Katara slowly, still looking puzzled.

"Both sides have to build their halves of the bridge and meet in the middle." He began nervously pacing again. "It's the same with you. I needed to know you loved me to open the channel and let the energy flow. Now I can let you go because I know I'm not going to lose you." The last sentence was said almost to himself. He felt as if he'd solved several problems at once. Of course, their new situation might bring new ones to light, but they could deal with those as they presented themselves.

"Well, you've lost me on your explanation," Katara replied, eyebrows raised and smiling slightly. Aang went to her and grasped her upper arms.

"I know," he began. He took a deep breath and forced himself to look straight into her eyes as he continued. "I wasn't completely honest when I told you my problem with reaching the Avatar State. You see, the key to the seventh chakra was letting go of anything holding you to the earth. For me, that was you."

"Me?" she repeated in a small voice.

"Yeah, and I couldn't do it. That's why, when I came to rescue you, I wasn't…ready."

"But I saw you--"

"I know. When I put myself in that crystal, I was letting you go to open that last chakra."

"So you could save me," Katara remarked. She slipped her arms around his waist. "Kind of ironic, when you think about it."

"I guess," Aang shrugged. "Anyway, I was still in the process of opening the chakra when Azula…well, you know. Her strike locked it until now. I don't know if this is a way around that or what."

"I'm not going to question it any more," replied Katara, hugging him. Her cheek slid against his, and he planted a kiss there as he wrapped his arms around her. Suddenly, she raised her head excitedly. "We have to go tell the others!" She was already on her way when Aang took hold of her hand and pulled her back. She turned toward him, surprised.

"I'm sure they can wait a few minutes," he assured her, grinning invitingly at her. She smiled back, and they sat together for a long time, watching the stars appear and stealing kisses whenever the mood struck.

--

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, MormonMaiden, libowiekitty, Snows of Yester-Year, La Vixen de Amor, chocolatecoveredbananacheese, Aangy, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Author's Note: Well, that's all I had in mind for the moment, but like I said, I might continue this if I come up with some good ideas. I'm just not sure I want to commit to another novel-length story right now. I need to give SnakeEyes16 credit for the idea about how Aang might be able to reach the Avatar State again. Don't be surprised if I take a bit of a Christmas break here on all of my projects.

Review responses:

Thank you to donjonkeeper, kataanglovr52, jliljj, and cruciolicous for reviewing Chapter 2.

poka: Thank you. There's a little more dialogue in this chapter, but I think it works.

MastaDrumma22: Thank you; I always like to hear that I've nailed something!

frizzyhairedloon: People who've seen it do confirm that Katara is really nasty towards Zuko. I agree that many people present Zuko very superficially in their stories (Sokka, too), but I try to stay true to what Iroh said in The Storm: "My nephew is a very complicated young man."

nutshak: No, I haven't published anything, but my husband says we should figure out how to make money off of my obsession/creativity. I have done original works in the past, but I seem to do best with fanfiction, where I don't have to waste a lot of time explaining the characters and situations. Maybe they'll invite me to write for the show if they do a Season 4….:)

The Mad shoe1: I just thought it was simpler for Katara to give him the silent treatment. Two or three scenes of her railing at him wasn't my focus here. Besides, I may have had Zuko handling the situation better than he does for real, saying and doing things that tend to disarm the others.

AirGirl Phantom: What familiarity? Only Toph has actually approached him, and they don't really _have _a couple of weeks. By my reckoning, they've got roughly two months before the comet arrives.

animeflunky: Well, Aang does need to learn. I might write more lessons later, but I have to be careful to not make it too similar to what I wrote in Avatar in Training/Destiny's Call. Iroh was the teacher there.

Katara2102: I think Toph would be the first to accept him for several reasons: she likes Iroh, she's never fought Zuko personally, the Fire Nation haven't actually attacked her home (as is the case for the others), and they have similar backgrounds.

CrissyLF: Well, I'm glad you like this and could see it happening. That's how I try to write. Have you really read everything Avatar I've written? That's a serious undertaking. Even I am surprised when I look at my list of fics these days!

BlackRose108: I can only do so much! I have an idea for "What You Missed," but I've been trying to get the more timely things done first.

Amira Elizabeth: I'm glad you liked the firebending lesson because I sort of felt like it was filler. However, I thought it was important for Zuko to share some personal things with Aang.

Justcallmewolfy: I came up with the nickname Sourpuss in my other story, but she didn't use it much. This was the last chapter I originally had planned, but I have a couple of potential ideas to continue it. The problem is that I only have snatches of scenes right now rather than an overall plot.

Billeh: That's odd; my alerts seem to be working just fine. I try to be realistic with how the characters would respond to a given situation, so that might be why I guess right pretty often.

Aangs fangirl1214: Yeah, I'd like someone to make the great-grandfather joke and have Katara step up and protest because she doesn't want to reconcile that with her feelings for Aang. It probably won't happen, though.


	4. Chapter 4: Moving Ahead

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I am finally continuing this concept. While the story began as my predictions of what might happen (admittedly with some wishful thinking involved), the rest will be an alternative to the second half of Book 3: Fire. The actual series left a lot of questions unanswered, and I hope to rectify that. There will be some elements of the real thing included, but I will be generally going a different direction and taking several twists and turns along the way. Happy New Year, everyone!

Moving Ahead

"Should we go after them?" Sokka wondered aloud as he prodded the campfire with a long stick. Zuko could understand his concern, as it was after dark, and Katara and Aang weren't back yet. In addition, there had earlier been a strange glow and a disturbance in the wind and water at the edge of the island. However, since there wasn't a cloud in the starry sky, and both Aang and Katara were benders, it seemed likely that they had been the source of whatever had happened out there and not in any danger.

"Why? I mean, what could happen?" Teo responded, earning a sullen glower from Sokka.

"Worried about your sister's virtue?" Toph asked in a mocking tone. This brought Zuko up short, and he peered curiously at Sokka. It had never occurred to Zuko to protect his sister in this way – or in any way, really – and the interaction between the two Water Tribe siblings continually fascinated him.

"No! Yes…maybe," Sokka responded uncertainly, jabbing unnecessarily hard at an ember.

"I'm sure they're fine," Haru assured him in his calm voice. The Duke was already curled up at the edge of the firelight, asleep.

Zuko said nothing, not having anything to add and still not really feeling a part of this group. Before Sokka could decide to go searching, Toph announced that the missing pair was returning, and the sounds of their approach became audible shortly thereafter.

"Hey, guys, we have something to tell you!" Aang said when he and Katara had stepped into the faint circle of light.

"You're finally a couple," Toph guessed. "It's about time."

"Well, yes, that," Katara conceded shyly, taking Aang's hand in emphasis. "But there's something even more important than that. Aang's mastered the Avatar State!" Zuko noted that nobody had seemed particularly surprised about the first revelation, but the second caused quite a stir as everybody began talking at once and approaching Aang to ask questions or congratulate him.

Almost everyone, that is. The Duke was still managing to sleep through the commotion, and Zuko remained quiet and where he was. Even though he knew this was a good thing, he was developing a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. From his perspective, his presence had suddenly become superfluous, and as a relative outsider, he saw no reason to stay if Aang no longer needed his help. On the other hand, Zuko had nowhere else to go at the moment. When the initial excitement died down, he decided to voice his thoughts.

"So I guess you won't be needing me anymore?" he said softly. For a few heartbeats, he wasn't even sure he'd been loud enough to be heard, but then Aang came over to him wearing a quizzical expression.

"What are you talking about?" the Avatar said, and it was clear that this had not been part of his thought process. It made Zuko feel a little better that Aang wasn't looking for the first excuse to get rid of him. The look on Katara's face told a different story, but she was holding her peace…for now.

"I mean, there's not much point in you learning firebending when you can control the Avatar State, is there?" Zuko persisted doggedly, but with a small hope that they would offer him a reason to stay. "Isn't that the biggest weapon you've got?"

Aang and Katara exchanged a glance, and something clearly passed between them. They sat near Zuko, and he was vaguely aware of the others resuming their seats to see what would happen next.

"It is, but it's not that simple," Aang explained. "When the Avatar State was automatic, survival instinct just took over and did whatever the spirit thought would get me out of danger. Now I have to be the one to decide what to do."

"I don't see why that matters," Toph said what Zuko was thinking. "I thought the Avatar State was supposed to be a shortcut."

"The other Avatars always mastered the elements individually before the Avatar State," Aang reminded everyone. "There's a reason for that. Just because I got the Avatar State first doesn't mean I don't have to do the rest."

"There are too many choices," Katara added decisively. "It will help Aang use the Avatar State better if he learns the different kinds of bending so that he knows what his options are. We…"

"We think that's what happened in Ba Sing Se," Aang picked up when it looked like Katara couldn't continue, and he cast her a concerned look. "It was the first time I'd ever been in control of the Avatar State, and I didn't know what to do with it. That second or two of indecision was what let Azula get me. I think I still need to master the elements, or as much as I can before the comet comes, so I can plan my strategies ahead of time." Zuko now understood why Katara had trouble talking about the issue, and he felt a fresh pang of guilt at the reminder of just why she hated him.

"That makes sense," Teo remarked. "Sokka showed us how important planning could be at the Northern Air Temple."

"Gaining the discipline of each bending type wouldn't hurt, either," Haru added. "I've learned a lot about the larger concepts of earthbending since I've been able to learn it properly."

"Exactly," nodded Katara, recovering her composure. "Each element has its own framework, and I think Aang needs to see how they work separately and how they fit together."

"So we still need you, Zuko," Aang concluded. He tossed the firebender a mischievous grin. "You didn't have anywhere better to go, did you?"

"No, I didn't," Zuko managed a weak smile.

"Well, whoever's going to be training in what, it's late, and I think we could all use some sleep," Sokka broke into the conversation, banking the fire as he stood up. There were general murmurs of agreement, and people drifted away to find their sleeping places. Zuko noted with mild amusement that Sokka made sure there was some distance and wall or two between Aang and Katara as they settled down for the night.

For his part, Zuko sought his bed with lifted spirits. He still had somewhere to belong, for the time being, and he was relieved.

***

Katara was positively giddy that evening and found it hard to go to sleep. She knew that Sokka would be watching her even more closely than usual, but that seemed a small price to pay for what she had gained. Now that she'd confessed her love for Aang and he had control of the Avatar State, anything seemed possible. There were still a number of problems facing them, of course, but they didn't look as insurmountable as they had a few days ago when they'd fled the Fire Nation in defeat. Somehow, working together, the team they had left could make this all work out.

She awoke to a ray of sunshine hitting her eyes. Katara blinked and stretched, realizing that she must have slept later than usual as a result of her trouble getting relaxed the night before. When she reached the common area the group had established, she was delighted to discover that someone else had made breakfast for a change. All in all, it seemed an auspicious start to the day. After serving herself from the pot on the fire, Katara sat beside Aang and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.

"So I didn't dream all that stuff from last night?" he asked her, and she smiled happily.

"No, it really happened," she assured him. She could understand his disbelief; she wasn't sure that the change in her relationship with him had completely sunk in yet. She noticed that Sokka had his maps out again, and when everyone was finished eating, he called a meeting of everyone except Haru, who was keeping watch to the south.

"We need to find somewhere else to go," Sokka informed them. "I have a few ideas of my own, but I'm open to suggestions." There were a few murmurs of discontent before any responses became intelligible.

"Why can't we just stay here?" Toph objected.

"Yeah, it feels like we just got here," said The Duke.

"We did," Teo put in. Katara groaned inwardly, but she suspected where her brother was going with this. Unlike most of the others, Sokka, Aang, and Katara had been on the move for much of the last eight months to prevent the Fire Nation from catching up with them. They'd already learned the hazards of staying in one place for long.

"We can't stay," Sokka shook his head firmly, confirming Katara's thoughts. "Zuko found us here, and it's only a matter of time before someone else figures out this is the most likely place for us to be hiding out. We have a head start, but that won't last long."

"How about the Eastern Air Temple?" Aang suggested. "It's far enough away that it will be hard for anyone to find us."

"Unfortunately, it's a little _too_ far away," sighed Sokka. "It's not bad for an eventual destination, but we'll need to make some stops along the way."

"The Fire Nation has a lot of small, unoccupied islands around it," Zuko spoke up. "We can use them to rest."

"We found that while we were traveling," Toph concurred. "Do we have enough supplies that we won't need to buy anything?"

"We'll collect as much as we can from this island," said Sokka. "After that, we should be able to hunt or gather what we need."

"If not, some of us might be able to go in disguise to a populated area," Teo suggested.

"We have another problem," Katara spoke for the first time. "Appa had trouble getting seven of us here, and we've got extra dead weight now."

"I'm right here," Zuko reminded her sourly.

"I know," Katara responded cheerfully.

"Be nice," Aang admonished her in a whisper.

"You said –" she began, but he cut her off.

"I said it was okay for you not to trust him," he clarified. "You don't have to be mean."

"I'm sorry," Katara apologized, feeling a little abashed. "I'll try."

"Well, I could use my glider," offered Aang aloud. "And we could leave Appa's armor behind."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Sokka inquired, probably a little put out that they were just going to dump the armor after all of the work he'd put into it.

"We're not exactly going to be running headlong into battle anymore," Katara pointed out. "Whatever our new plan turns out to be, we're probably going to want to be quiet and careful."

"That's true," said Teo. "Speed and stealth are going to be more important than toughness from now on."

"Hey, can I be a spy?" The Duke requested eagerly.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Sokka waved off the question. "We don't even _have_ a plan yet. I'm just trying to find a safe place where we can come up with a plan."

"I would offer my balloon," said Zuko. "But _somebody_ tore it apart when I arrived." He looked significantly at Katara, who met his gaze unflinchingly.

"Do you blame me?" she challenged. They stared each other down for several seconds, but Zuko was the first to look away.

"No. Not really," he admitted.

"You know, there's something I've been wondering," she continued. "How did you manage to get away with that balloon?"

"It was easier than you'd think," Zuko shrugged, staring straight ahead. "Most of the city was in the bunker, waiting for the battle to be over. After I…spoke to my father, I slipped away. He'd sent all of his guards out, so nobody saw me. By the time I got to the airship fleet, they were already being prepped to meet the invasion. My sister was getting onto one of them, so why not me? I just had to make sure she didn't see me; she would have guessed what I was doing."

"They sank our underwater boats!" Sokka interjected heatedly. "That's why we couldn't escape!"

"Well, I didn't know that," Zuko resumed. "Anyway, there was so much activity that nobody noticed when I took one of the smaller balloons they weren't going to use. After we were all in the air, I split off to watch what would happen, and when I saw Appa leaving, I thought you would probably come here." Katara hated to admit it, but it all did sound reasonable. She couldn't find fault with any of it, and Toph wasn't indicating that he was lying. Eventually, she was probably going to have to face the fact that Zuko was here to stay, but she wasn't ready to do so yet.

"Which was exactly my point to begin with," said Sokka. "If he figured it out, someone else will."

"Should I be insulted?" Zuko asked him dryly. "Are you saying I'm not very bright?" Sokka regarded him thoughtfully in the silence that followed. Katara recalled that her brother had once called the prince "pretty stupid" and couldn't help smiling a little at the memory.

"I've seen smarter," Sokka informed him finally.

"Wiser, too, I'm sure," Zuko returned, and he really did seem sincere. Nonetheless, Katara squelched any impulse to sympathize with him. He still needed to earn her trust.

"I guess we don't have time to fix the balloon?" Teo tried to bring the conversation back on track.

"No," confirmed Sokka. "Besides, Aang is right. If he flies on his glider, maybe carrying a few supplies with him, and we stash the armor here, Appa should be able to carry Zuko. We'll just want to keep our flights to a few hours."

"That's about all we'd want to do, anyway," said Aang. "I still have to spend part of my day training, you know." With that, they all rose to clean up from breakfast and prepare to leave the island. Aang and Zuko went off to work on firebending while Katara took it upon herself to help Sokka find a hiding place for Appa's armor.

"Don't feel too bad," she tried to console him. "It did a good job protecting Appa on the Day of Black Sun, and we can always stop by here to pick it up before we have to face the Firelord again."

"I guess," Sokka sighed mournfully. As he placed the last piece in a corner of a ruin, his expression was that of putting a valuable in the coffin of a recently deceased relative. Katara rolled her eyes unobtrusively.

When they came back outside, Katara was surprised to see Haru running from over the hills, shouting and waving his arms. It took a couple of minutes for him to be close enough that she could make out the words.

"Someone's coming!" he called out.

--

Author's Note: Do you like the cliffhanger? I really wanted to set this up so that people would be hooked into my continuation of the story right away. I think there will be enough action to entertain the people who like battles and enough fluff for the romantics. It's currently my plan to update about once a week, but we'll see how that goes.

Review responses:

donjonkeeper: Thanks!

Magnumus: Well, it didn't happen, so I'm just writing my own conclusion to the series.

LordZark: After this story has been defunct for more than a year, I hope you're still out there. I think it's going to be a good one.

TimeWitch16: Thank you! I'm back at last!

scorpiaux: Are you saying kids can't be logical? Honestly, everything might have fit in better if you'd read the whole thing. In my experience, saying "I love you" to someone for the first time does tend to be blurted out. You'll agree it was better than the real third season, right?

cruciolicious: It's much delayed, but I am continuing it.:)

DuHSPaZZiNGFeL: It really bothered me that the show never did explain what "letting go" meant, not to mention the incredibly stupid way Aang got the Avatar State back. I think my version is better.

: Well, I like writing Kataang, and I've decided to continue this in part so that I don't lose interest in doing so.

poka: Good idea. You helped me fill a page of my story.:)

Loupami: Yeah, apparently all of my confession scenes were so good that the actual writers didn't think they could do better, so they just skipped it.:P Honestly, they could have stolen from me. I wouldn't have minded.

MastaDrumma22: Don't worry; I have plans for Zuko. I've begun explaining his role already, but there is more to come.

nutshak: Personally, I think I did much better than the Season 3 writers. Then again, that's not saying much. They really dropped the ball on this otherwise fantastic story.

Vanille Strawberry: I wish they had used that explanation! It would have made a lot more sense than getting hit in the back with a rock. I mean, seriously?

AirGirl Phantom: Well, it was an ending temporarily, but now I'm continuing. I know I won't top Chapter 3 for a while, but I hope this develops into a good, solid story.

CrissyLF: Thank you, but it was SnakeEyes16 who gave me the idea. I just filled in the details and breathed life into it.

airnaruto45: Here it is!

SpicyStrawberries: I am back to this story, and I plan to focus on this until it is completed. I guess I was hoping that the actual show would wrap up all of the subplots and reconcile Kataang in a satisfying way. Since it didn't, there has been a void created that I will attempt to fill.

Aangs fangirl1214: SnakeEyes16 does have some good ideas, even if he doesn't review my stories anymore.;)

Fusion Blaster: I'm sorry I made you wait so long for the next chapter of this story, but at least I wrote plenty of other stuff to keep you occupied in the interim.


	5. Chapter 5: Assassin's Return

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Sorry this is so late; I've had a week. I should mention that my Western Air Temple is laid out somewhat differently than the one in the show. Since I hadn't actually seen the temple when I began writing this, I envisioned it being somewhat similar to the others, but more devastated because, being so close to the Fire Nation, it was probably the hardest hit.

**Assassin's Return**

Zuko and Aang ran through their warm-up and breathing exercises, then Zuko decided to review some of the control techniques from yesterday before proceeding to anything new. He was frankly uncertain how to explain to somebody how to produce fire out of your body. Since Zuko had been able to do it ever since he could remember, it was a little like trying to describe how he formed sounds in his mouth to make words.

"It's like this," he tried. "There's all this energy in your body."

"Chi," Aang nodded as though he understood perfectly. Encouraged even as he remembered his uncle describing the sea of chi, Zuko continued.

"Right. When you firebend, you're channeling some of that energy into a stream. The power builds up until it has to go somewhere, and that's when you let it out through your hands or feet."

Before they could go any further with their lesson, the ground beneath them shook. Zuko stumbled but managed to keep his feet under him. Aang, ever light-footed, shifted effortlessly with the ground, as if minor earthquakes were an everyday occurrence scarcely to be noticed.

"That's Toph's signal," he said. "We'd better get back to the others."

"Aang, wait!" Zuko tried, but it was a waste of breath. With the speed of the wind at his disposal, Aang was already vanishing into a cloud of dust. Muttering incoherently, Zuko sprinted to reach the camp, finding nothing amiss when he got there, except that everyone was taking cover in the ruins. "What's going on?" Sokka gestured for him to get behind a broken wall with the others, and Zuko complied.

"Haru saw a small ship approaching," Teo explained. "We're waiting to see who was on it." Zuko looked around, noting that Aang, Katara, and Haru were in ready stances appropriate to their respective elements. Toph, on the other hand, had her hands pressed to the ground and was wearing an expression of intense concentration. Several tense minutes passed in silence.

"I know who it is," Toph said grimly, rising into an earthbending stance.

"Who?" clamored the others.

"Combustion Man," she answered.

"Who?" repeated Zuko, and he didn't think he was alone in that.

"Some freak who chased us all through the Fire Nation," Sokka explained. "He could shoot fireballs out of his forehead. Very weird and scary."

Zuko felt his insides twisting into knots as he now recalled a loose end he'd failed to tie up before switching sides.

"I forgot about him," he murmured.

Apparently, he hadn't spoken quite softly enough. An instant after the words left his lips, Zuko found himself soaking wet with his face pressed into the ground.

"_You_ sent him after us?" asked Katara, her voice low and threatening. For a moment, Zuko considered telling a lie, but he dismissed the idea. If he wanted these people to learn to trust him, he had to tell the truth and accept the consequences. He spat out grass so that he could speak.

"I'm sorry!" he tried lamely. "I was confused and afraid of what would happen if Aang was still alive…"

"So, just to be clear, you sent an assassin to kill Aang," Katara continued. She sounded businesslike enough, but Zuko could feel the water in his clothing beginning to freeze, and he swallowed hard.

"Yes," he confessed. A thin, wet cord wrapped around his neck and began squeezing. Zuko closed his eyes, sure that he was going to die now and thinking how ironic that he'd escaped attempts on his life by pirates, Commander Zhao, his father, and even his own stupidity only to be killed by one of the "good guys" he was trying to help. Maybe he was not cut out for this after all.

"Katara, stop." That was Aang's voice, sounding almost as strangled as Zuko felt. There was a fractional release of the pressure on Zuko's throat, and he took the opportunity to draw in a full breath.

"Give me one good reason," she challenged. "He chased us all over the world and hired somebody to kill you just in case his sister wasn't quite thorough enough. What is his life worth?"

"He's still a human being, Katara," said Aang quietly. Katara snorted as though willing to argue the point, but Aang continued. "We might need his help against Combustion Man." Zuko knew that the assassin's name was actually Yun Yi, but he didn't think anyone really cared about that at the moment.

"What makes you think he'll help us?" she shot back. "For all we know, he'll fight on the other guy's side. Someone who'll betray you once would do it again." Her water-noose tightened again, and Zuko winced, both from the pain and her words. He knew he had screwed up royally, and the only hope he had left was that he would get the chance to make up for it.

"We don't have time for this," Sokka cut in, and there was an affirmative noise from someone else. Even Zuko, from his position on the ground, could begin to feel vibrations of heavy feet approaching. "You can beat him up after we fight Combustion Man."

"Promise?"

"Warrior's honor," promised Sokka solemnly. Abruptly, Zuko was free, and he coughed, gulping as much air as he could. The water was also pulled out of his clothing, but he was sure that was not for any consideration of his comfort. It was more likely that Katara simply wanted her weapon back.

Zuko struggled into a sitting position, risking a glance at Aang. The airbender shot him a disappointed look before turning his attention to the area beyond the wall. In Zuko's view, that was almost harder to take than Katara's overt violence had been.

"Here he comes," Toph announced, and she sent a ripple through the earth, probably designed to keep the assassin off balance. Teo and The Duke stretched some sort of fabric between them, and Haru used his bending to push a good-sized stone into it. When he brought his arms down, the rock launched into the air, probably getting more distance than bending alone, even if it sacrificed some accuracy. Toph began stomping around, but it wasn't clear what she was doing. The other benders were waiting for a target they could see, and Sokka was standing with his boomerang at the ready.

"Try to hit him in the middle of that eye on his forehead," Sokka advised his combat team. "That seems to keep him from bending, or whatever that is he does."

Zuko filed that little piece of information as a cone of fire spread out, ending right in front of their wall. It sent chunks of stone flying but left the wall mostly standing. Even with Toph's earthbending throwing off his aim, the shot was entirely too close. Zuko shot off a fireblast blindly over the wall, thinking furiously. He owed these people a lot, and he knew that he had to come up with a way to salvage the situation. Aang and the other benders made their attacks while Sokka threw his boomerang. It returned to him a few seconds later, and judging by his expression, it hadn't accomplished much.

"Enough with the earthbending, Toph," Sokka called out. "I can't get a clear shot." Zuko peered through a crack to see the familiar eye symbol on the head of the man he'd hired but ducked back when he saw Yun Yi aiming again.

Another flaming blast exploded a section of the wall covering them, and the group scattered, most flattening themselves on the ground to make a smaller target. Zuko realized that the psychic fire took a second or two to recharge, and he crouched at the edge of the wall, prepared to make his move. As soon as the next strike hit, he made a mad dash towards its source.

"Wait! Stop!" he shouted, waving his hands in an effort to get the assassin's attention. However, Yun Yi was already aiming another attack, so Zuko only succeeded in making himself the primary target. He dove out of the way just in time, hearing a hiss as Katara's water must have met the blast. However, the edge of the fire caught Zuko's left hand, and he was hit by exploding chunks of earth. Shaking his stinging hand in a vain effort to ease the burning, Zuko stood again. This time, the bulky man looked at him curiously.

"I'm canceling your contract," Zuko informed him between gasping breaths. Using primarily his good hand, he fumbled at his belt and managed to release the pouch that was among the few belongings he'd brought from the Fire Nation. "That's your full price, plus 20 percent. Our business is completed." He tossed the pouch of money toward the man. The assassin hesitated just fractionally before walking the few steps required to reach his payment. He picked it up, hefting it in his hand.

"I've never failed to complete a contract," he rumbled warningly.

"Like I said, it _is_ completed," said Zuko earnestly. "I don't want the Avatar dead." The assassin considered a moment or two longer. Then, deliberately, he opened the pouch and assessed its contents. Tying it shut again, he inclined his head toward Zuko.

"A pleasure doing business with you," he said, and pivoting his odd, metal legs, he strode away. Zuko exhaled with relief, slumping to the ground. Gradually, he became aware that the Avatar and his friends were approaching.

"You are one crazy firebender," Toph remarked, and their seemed to be a hint of grudging admiration in her tone.

"But you did save us from Combustion Man," added Sokka. Zuko wondered if he should mention that knowing that an angry waterbender was waiting to assault him when the battle was over had helped give him the courage to face Yun Yi the way he had.

"There are advantages to being an employer," he said. Still cradling his injured hand, he turned and prostrated himself before the others, primarily Aang, mimicking the way the Firelord's subjects displayed their obeisance. "Now I am truly at your mercy. That was all the money I had." The silence following this statement was as thick as blood, and Zuko felt sweat tricking down his temples as he awaited a response.

"Get up," Aang instructed him finally. "You're one of us now." Zuko rose to his knees, and to his surprise, Katara took his hand and wrapped it in glowing water. The pain began to subside almost immediately, and when she drew the water away, there wasn't even a mark to show he'd been burned. She'd mentioned her healing abilities, but he'd never actually seen them in action before. He looked up at her disbelievingly.

"I thought you wanted to beat me up," he blurted out. He probably shouldn't have reminded her, but he didn't understand her sudden change in behavior.

"You seem to have done a pretty good job of that on your own," she answered sardonically. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" Zuko shook his head. He was probably going to have a few bruises on his side, but they were nothing to be concerned about. Katara stood up, regarding him closely.

"I don't forgive you, but I do believe you're sincerely trying to help us." With that, she turned on her heel and walked away. After sparing Zuko an approving glance, Aang followed her. Zuko watched them go, mystified.

"I will never understand that girl," Zuko claimed.

"Join the club," said Sokka. "I've known her her whole life, and I still don't get her half the time."

"Does Aang?"

Sokka offered a faint smile.

"More than most of us, maybe, but not completely," he answered.

"Welcome to the team," Toph interjected. "Ticking Katara off is sort of an initiation. You're in."

_I think I managed that long before I came here_, Zuko thought, but he let it pass.

***

Aang found Katara sitting on a grassy hill, her arms wrapped around her knees.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She gestured for him to sit down beside her, and he did so.

"You stopped me," she responded, staring straight ahead.

"What?"

"You stopped me from killing Zuko."

"Oh." In all the excitement of the battle, Aang had nearly forgotten what had happened before. "Are you mad at me for that?"

"No," Katara shook her head emphatically. "I'm glad you did. It's just…I came so close. I really wanted him dead. It bothers me."

Aang wasn't quite sure what to say. Her ferocity had scared him a little, too. He had interfered because he couldn't stand to watch what was happening any longer, and he knew she would have stopped him in a similar circumstance.

"You're not a killer, Katara," he said finally. "You would have stopped on your own."

"I wish I knew that for sure. I was so angry! I got thinking about all of the things the Fire Nation has taken from me – my mother, my father twice, almost you. I wanted to take it all out on him."

"Katara, I know how you feel," Aang soothed, placing an arm around her shoulders. "I've had times when I've been so angry that I couldn't control myself. Remember?" Katara sniffed and nodded, leaning into him.

"It just doesn't seem the same," she replied. "You've never killed anyone or even tried to, and when you hurt people in the Avatar State, you weren't really yourself. I don't have an Avatar Spirit to hide behind. This is part of me."

"We all have darkness in us, just like the moon has a dark side, but we also have the choice not to give in to it." Aang had had to face this when he was working with the guru to open his chakras, but he knew it wasn't easy.

"I hope I have the strength to resist it," Katara sighed.

"You're one of the strongest, most determined people I've ever met," Aang told her earnestly. "I know you can do it." The silence stretched out for perhaps half a minute.

"Have you thought about what you will do when you face the Firelord?" asked Katara suddenly.

"Not really. I was just sort of hoping I'd know what to do when the time came."

"Will you kill him?"

"I don't want to," said Aang heavily. It was a question he'd been trying to avoid for a long time. He was unwilling to take a life for any reason, but would it be worth it to save thousands of other lives, maybe even millions? So many had died already…what price was he willing to pay to end it?

"But if there's no other way?" Katara pressed. Aang didn't know why she was being so persistent about this, but he felt he owed her an answer.

"I'll do what I have to," he promised her, hoping it was suitably vague. She seemed to accept that, putting an arm around him and cuddling close. Aang enjoyed it, but there was a corner of his mind that kept repeating the question – when he faced the Firelord, what _would_ he do?

--

Author's Note: Okay, so some similarities with the episode, but I thought it would make more sense for the assassin to accept payment in return for not completing the job. You don't get to be well respected as an assassin by turning on your employers. It's possible that Combustion Man had decided the matter was now personal, but we don't really know that.

Review responses:

Magnumus: Thank you; I'm trying to.

blue-kataang: I'm sorry! I'll try not to keep you waiting and crying too long.

unpredictable gorilla: I'll take that under advisement. Zuko took a few steps back on belonging to the group, but I thought that was necessary. I also liked the idea of him accidentally blurting out his involvement with the assassin.

Katsumara: Yeah, I don't know that I would exactly call it a cop-out, but it required some development for it to make sense. It was a little like building a tower 70 feet in the air without putting in a foundation or ground floor to support it.

poka: At the moment, my outline indicates approximately 21 total chapters, but that will probably expand. I'm curious which episodes you've seen, but I do like to try to give Zuko some depth.

Vanille Strawberry: We can still hope the live action movies will fix some of the things the show screwed up. Thank you.

BlackRose108: I don't think I'll ever top Destiny's Call, and I'm hoping this won't be that long, but I am thinking about this story in much the same way.

Fusion Blaster: Don't feel bad; I had to re-read the first three chapters, too. I keep checking them to make sure my details are consistent, too. I hope you enjoy the way the story unfolds.

Argorok34: Regarding your last sentence, you and me both. I hold the belief that M. Night Shyamalan will have the sense to fix that in the live action movie version. Anyway, your review made me laugh, so thanks for that.

Clouds-in-the-head: Yes, that was just silly. It also implied that it was the 4th chakra, in the heart, that was blocked rather than the 7th. Which would actually make my explanation even more reasonable.


	6. Chapter 6: Next Step

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I always thought it was strange that the Gaang just hung around at the Western Air Temple until Azula caught up with them. That's why I'm having Sokka making such an issue of the fact that they have to leave.

**Next Step**

"Well, this just proves my point," announced Sokka dramatically. "We can't stay here. Zuko found us, Combustion Man found us—"

"Yun Yi," Zuko corrected absently.

"Whatever. If we stick around much longer, we might as well send the Firelord an engraved invitation."

"I guess you're right," Teo sighed. "Haru, why don't you and I see what we can get from those fruit trees we found yesterday?"

"Right behind you," Haru answered, following the boy in the wheeled chair.

"I think we should still keep a lookout," Sokka said. "We won't want to leave until – until _Yun Yi_ is well away."

"Why's that?" piped up The Duke.

"He'll tell anyone who'll pay him enough where we are, and we don't need him seeing which direction we go when we leave," Sokka replied. "The Duke, why don't you take a turn?"

"Great!" the little boy responded, jumping up and adjusting his helmet before he took off.

"Find the highest spot you can," Sokka called after him.

"What do you want us to do?" Toph wondered aloud, cocking her head in his general direction. Zuko was also looking at Sokka expectantly.

"Help me come up with a plan," he told them both. He pulled out two of his maps again, one of the Fire Nation and one of the world. "It sounds like we're heading to the Eastern Air Temple to hide out for a while, but we need to figure out our stops along the way."

"Uncle Iroh," Zuko blurted out.

"What about him?" asked Sokka.

"I'd like to see him again," said Zuko quietly. "I need to tell him…you said he might be at that sword-master's house."

"He might be, but we don't know for sure," Sokka warned.

"Oh, let's give it a shot," Toph interjected. "I like Iroh. I wouldn't mind talking to him again. Maybe he'll make us some tea."

"Tea?" Sokka gaped at her incredulously. With all of the problems they had, she was thinking about _tea_?

"It's really good tea," she shrugged.

Sokka wasn't swayed by the promise of tea, but he saw Zuko's body language as he sat cross-legged, eyes to the ground, and knew that they had to make the effort. Sokka was very familiar with the concept of a young man who needed his father. While Iroh wasn't technically Zuko's father, the relationship was clearly closer than the one Zuko had with the Firelord.

"It's as good a plan as any," Sokka agreed. "Besides, I could use a sparring partner."

"Sparring partner?" Zuko echoed, and he seemed genuinely interested. Sokka grinned at him.

"You don't think this thing is just for show, do you?" he returned, gesturing to the long sword strapped across his back. Before Zuko could respond, a new voice interrupted.

"What are we doing?" Aang asked, and Sokka turned his head to see both him and Katara rejoining them. They both looked somewhat troubled, but Sokka decided he couldn't worry about that right now.

"We're planning to go back to see Master Piandao," he told them.

"That's a long way from here," Katara objected. "We'll never make it in one flight."

"I was just about to say that," Sokka snapped testily. "We'll need to make two stops on the way."

"What about that island where we all met to begin the invasion?" Toph suggested. "It was pretty nice."

"Where was that?" Zuko wanted to know, leaning over the map. Sokka pointed, squinting at the spot as he considered.

"I think that could work as a second stop," he decided. "It might be a stretch, but I think we can make it from there to Piandao's."

"That gets us close to Kuzon's village again," Aang sounded kind of wistful.

"But we get farther away from the Eastern Air Temple," Zuko commented, tracing his fingers across the map. "Is that okay with everyone?"

"Actually, it might be a good thing," Toph put in. "No one will be expecting us to stay close to the Fire Nation for so long."

"But we shouldn't go to places where they might recognize us," added Katara. "Piandao should be all right, but we won't want to go to any of the public places we've been before."

"True," said Sokka, allowing his eyes to rest on Toph. "Toph's picture is probably up all over the place." Toph didn't react, but Aang grinned, Katara looked disgruntled, and Zuko raised his one complete eyebrow.

"Am I missing something?" the prince asked, turning to the blind girl. "What did you do?"

"Just got some money from Fire Nation chumps," she shrugged unconcernedly, but a smirk spread slowly across her face. "They started calling me The Runaway."

"She conned a bunch of people using her earthbending," Katara helped with the explanation. "With the help of my brother and Aang, I might add." She folded her arms and glared at the two boys in question. "Even after someone promised me on Avatar's honor that they would stop."

"I'm sorry," Aang squeaked abashedly. He looked at her hopefully. "I love you?" Katara visibly softened and gave him a quick hug, making Sokka feel suddenly very alone.

"You know, that's not going to work forever," Katara admonished her new boyfriend, who nodded agreeably.

"We still need to find a first stop on the way to Piandao's house," Sokka doggedly tried to pull the conversation back around.

"Well, what's over there?" asked Katara, sitting down and leaning forward to point at the northern edge of the Fire Nation's largest island.

"Not much," answered Zuko. "At least, not that I know of."

"There wasn't much there 100 years ago, either," Aang supplied.

"That might be good, then," Sokka nodded. "I just wish it weren't so close to the capital."

"It's not as close as it looks," Zuko assured him. "There's still a problem, though. Everyone near there is going to be watching for a giant, flying bison." Sokka sat back on his heels, thinking.

"We usually used a cloud to cover us while we were traveling through the Fire Nation," he said. "But that's not going to work if Aang's busy flying his glider." Quiet reigned as everyone considered the problem.

"I got it!" Aang announced. "Fog!"

"Fog?" Zuko repeated, but Sokka suspected he knew where Aang was going with this.

"Sure." Aang turned toward Katara. "Remember how the swamp waterbenders used fog to hide the ships when they were coming in to get ready for the invasion?"

"Yes," said Katara slowly. "But there were a lot of them. I'm not sure if I can do it by myself."

"You don't have to cover a whole fleet, just a little area around Appa," Aang reminded her. "I know you can do it. I believe in you." Their eyes met, and Sokka felt an indefinable ache in his chest as he saw the bond they shared. In a way, he had always known this would happen, but he hadn't expected to hurt this much when he watched them. When he looked away, his gaze fixed on Zuko, and a sudden thought struck him.

"Suki!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Zuko," Zuko corrected slowly, enunciating as carefully as though he were speaking to a rather slow child.

"No, no," Sokka shook his head impatiently. "Maybe you can help me find Suki."

"Sorry; who's Suki?"

"Sokka's girlfriend," Katara jumped in. Between Sokka, Katara, and Aang, they quickly ran through the things they knew and guessed about what had happened to Suki and possibly some of her warriors. Sokka estimated that she had been captured about two months ago, not far from Ba Sing Se. Zuko frowned thoughtfully.

"Azula couldn't have brought them into the city," he determined. "She must have taken them somewhere secure."

"Like one of the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom?" Toph suggested. She was being strangely quiet, Sokka noted.

"Probably," Zuko agreed.

"Could be wherever her people went after we took out the drill," Katara offered.

"Mai told me about that," Zuko looked over the map again. "Can you show me exactly where the drill was?" Sokka drew his finger along the imaginary line he thought the drill had traveled to get to the outer wall.

"There's a big colony here," Zuko said, pointing to a place about halfway between the desert and the shoreline. "That would be a good place to start."

"And it's not too far from the Eastern Air Temple," Aang remarked, gesturing to the two locations. "We can still go there to make our plans."

"We still have to get there," sighed Katara. "And it's a long way."

"We'll get there," Aang asserted with a confidence Sokka wished he felt. Still, having a goal in mind and something useful to accomplish made Sokka feel a lot better, and it looked like the others in the group were perking up, too.

"Let's do it," Sokka said.

***

A few hours later, everything was ready, and the group had traveled on foot to the southern edge of the island in order to make the flight for both Appa and Aang as short as possible. Aang paused to run his fingers through his old friend's fur while the others got on Appa's back.

"I won't be far away, buddy," he murmured into the bison's ear. Katara lagged behind, and when Aang stepped back, she hugged him.

"Take care of yourself," she whispered.

"You too," he returned, regretfully withdrawing from her to give her a boost up. Then he opened his glider and took off.

As the smaller target, Aang was planning to fly high and a little ahead of Appa, with the idea that he would easily spot any Fire Nation ships before they could see him. That way, Katara wouldn't have to start the fog until it became absolutely necessary, saving her strength. Once they were in sight of land, they would have to use the camouflage anyway.

Things went smoothly for approximately half an hour. At that point, Aang saw two Fire Nation ships heading north. Looking a little farther into the distance, he also noticed an airship patrol, probably marking the beginning of the waters that had always been claimed by the Fire Nation. Aang circled back and dipped his glider in the agreed signal to Katara and Sokka. Accordingly, Appa dove down to be closer to the water, and a fog bank began to rise up from the surface.

Unfortunately, Aang had to fly lower than usual so that he could also hide in the heavy mist. After about an hour, he realized two things: that he hadn't used his glider for long distances in quite some time, and that it was a lot more work to fly it when he didn't have the advantage of thermal updrafts. The ocean movement tended to work with the rising fog to mix the air quite a lot at lower altitudes, and Aang was constantly fighting against the natural air currents to stay aloft. By the time a dark mass of land was looming up through the haze, Aang's chest and arms were aching from his efforts and the strain of staying in one position for so long. He even closed his glider and used waterbending to skim along the water for a while, giving his arms a break.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached the black shoreline, and Aang flopped onto the ground, letting his glider fall from fingers gone numb. Appa landed nearby, his body language tired, and Aang was vaguely aware of everybody dismounting.

"Are you okay?" Katara had come over to him, and Aang managed to lift up on his elbows to look at her.

"Yeah," he tried to sound reassuring. "That was just a lot more work than I expected."

"Where does it hurt?" she asked, bringing out a handful of water. She looked quite fatigued herself, and Aang knew that maintaining a fog bank for hours was probably not easy. He rolled onto his back and wrapped his hand around her wrist.

"Don't heal me," he ordered.

"Why not?"

"Two reasons. One, you're tired, too. Two, my muscles need to feel the strain so they can get used to this. If I'm going to be doing this day after day, I need to work them. I'll be fine after a little rest."

"We'll all get some rest," Sokka interjected. He was looking at the angle of the sun, and Aang was mildly surprised to find that it was already evening. "We'll need to cross the land at night, I think, so we should try to sleep as soon as possible."

"We need to find a place to hide before that fog is gone," Haru added. Aang nodded, stifling a groan. He should have realized that their journey wouldn't really be over for the day until they found some cover. After all, they were in enemy territory. In a way, most of the world was enemy territory now, but this was the center of it all.

Aang was barely aware of anything besides placing one foot in front of the other as Toph found them a cave to sleep in. The people who had not been busy bending all afternoon prepared food and bedding places while Aang and Katara slumped against each other. Aang didn't know about Katara, but he probably would have fallen asleep immediately if he weren't so hungry. After eating, he did drift blissfully into slumber, but it seemed he had scarcely closed his eyes before Sokka was waking him up to begin their overland trek.

--

Author's Note: This was mainly a traveling chapter, but some of these little details are necessary. Was anyone else bothered by how quickly the group seemed to travel in the last few episodes? It took forever for them to get anywhere in the first two seasons, then suddenly they're halfway across the world in a day or so.

Review responses:

blue-kataang: Well, here you are! Thanks!

Dragon Firebender84: I see you changed your name. If you've read my other reviews, you'll see that you're in the minority. Argorok34 actually seemed to be responding to you. _My_ impression of the third season was that Mike & Brian were too busy thinking about their next project to finish telling the story.

unpredictable gorilla: I won't tell you anything other than the final battle will involve an unexpected twist.

donjonkeeper: Now there's an interesting idea. You'd think she'd have mentioned it, though.

my trancey inspiration: Well, thank you. The unsatisfactory ending to the series seems to have left a lot of people wanting more, including me. Fortunately, I can provide my own!

BlackRose108: Yeah, it was weird. If Combustion Man had actually spoken to say something like, "This isn't a job anymore; it's personal," it would have made more sense.

Fusion Blaster: Zuko did make the offer, but Combustion Man just swept him aside. Of course, Zuko didn't show him the money, so maybe he didn't believe he'd really get paid. We also didn't know in the show how he got to the temple.

Argorok34: I can't think of anything to say to your review except thank you, and I completely agree. I'm sure you know as well as I do that the items you mentioned were really just the tip of the iceberg, but you made your point.


	7. Chapter 7: Breakthroughs

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I really intended to post this last night, but I ended up so tired that I wasn't confident I would do a good job on my final edits, so I put it off. As it is, I proofed it in several stages, so I hope there aren't any inconsistencies. By the way, Happy Australia Day (a little late) to my readers Down Under!

**Breakthroughs**

Katara was grateful for the darkness as she gazed up at the thin sliver of moon. The black, volcanic rock that jutted up around them in uneven crags worked in their favor as the group wound its way through the island, trying to reach the water on the other side. The lights of the occasional settlements nestled in the mountains made them easy to avoid, and the presence of two earthbenders with them (three, if you counted Aang) meant that the rough terrain didn't slow them much. They simply tunneled through whenever possible, which had the double advantage of speeding up their progress and hiding them from sight. It also made the going much easier for Teo.

Finally, as the first light touched the sky and began chasing the stars away, the shore came into sight, as did some Fire Navy patrol boats, steaming into the harbor.

"What do we do now?" Katara whispered to her brother. He bit his lip in thought.

"I think they're just changing shifts," he decided. "We'll stay in the shadows here until they're gone."

"Are you sure it'll be safe to leave here in daylight?" Teo wondered.

"There shouldn't be many military ships here right now," Sokka shrugged. "There's no reason to guard the capital city now that the invasion and eclipse are over."

"That's true," Haru added quietly. "Almost everyone who was a threat to them has been taken prisoner." He and Sokka exchanged a look, and Katara also felt the pang of knowing her father was among those prisoners.

"We also know that we took out their weapon turrets," she put in, grimly remembering both her and Sokka's efforts and her father's injury in the process.

"We still don't want anyone to see us," Aang argued. "We don't want them following us to that little island if we're planning to rest there." Katara gave him a concerned look. He still looked tired, and it was mostly for his sake that she was glad they'd be waiting here for a little while. She was sure he would press on uncomplainingly, as he usually did, and that was what worried her.

"How are we going to hide, then?" asked Zuko. "It will look really strange for a fog bank to be rolling off of the land." Katara stared at him. She hadn't really thought about that. From the look on her brother's face, he hadn't, either.

"Can we use the cloud again?" supplied Toph. This was a difficult topic for her to participate in because she couldn't see the way the others could, but Katara thought it was a useful suggestion.

"I've always wanted to see what it was like in a cloud," The Duke mused, and Katara couldn't help smiling slightly.

"Uh, that's basically what fog is," Teo informed him. "A cloud close to the ground."

"Oh," The Duke responded, sounding disappointed. Without warning, Katara's mind flashed back to Aang diving down through the clouds to find out what they were made of and returning to Appa's saddle to inform her and Sokka that they were made of water. Following that was the memory of her and Aang shaping the clouds to save Aunt Wu's village. Katara felt herself blushing, thinking that Aang must have already been in love with her then, while she was totally oblivious. She dragged her thoughts back to the present.

"Aang, do you think Appa could carry all of us for a little while, so you and I could make the cloud?" she asked him. She hated to even ask it of him, but she needed his help with the air to keep the cloud's shape and altitude. Aang peered out into the harbor before answering.

"Yeah, I think he can make it far enough that they won't see us anymore," he said.

"Good. Then that's what we'll do," Sokka announced.

As the sun rose higher, it became clear that there were still a number of boats at anchor in the calm waters, mostly pleasure cruisers. There were very few navy ships, as Sokka had predicted, and those were either pulled out of the water for repairs or at anchor and apparently deserted. It was not going to be easy to avoid being noticed, but at least they could avoid an immediate attack if they were.

They climbed up into a mountain so that they could start high. Aang and Katara made their cloud, and Sokka signaled to Appa to take off. It was a lot of work to make sure the cloud kept up, but it felt good to be working with Aang like this again. Now that she knew he loved her, Katara understood why they'd always been able to mesh their bending so seamlessly. Only one time did Katara see an open space beneath her, but she thought she covered it quickly enough to avoid any danger.

Haru was dangling over the saddle so that he could use his sharp vision to peer through the cloud and let everyone know when they were out of sight of Fire Nation ships. Once he gave the signal, Aang and Katara stopped bending, and Aang took to his glider. Appa went all out towards their destination, since they'd decided to drop the fog cover in exchange for greater speed. Fortunately, the island wasn't too far from that point, and they arrived there safely. Haru, The Duke, and Sokka did a quick scan around the perimeter for Fire Navy ships, but all seemed to be clear. Of course, they didn't want to take chances, so the group stayed away from the shores as much as possible.

"Aang, we should really finish our firebending lesson," Zuko remarked as they were getting settled. "We barely got started yesterday."

"Yeah," responded Aang slowly. "There's a cavern in there that should be a good place. I'll be right there. I just want to take Appa's saddle off." Zuko nodded and walked away while Katara approached Aang, still concerned about him.

"Are you sure you can handle firebending after everything else you've had to do?" she demanded as he undid Appa's straps.

"We were just going to create fire," Aang shrugged. "So far it's been more mental than physical. I'll be all right, and I do have to learn." Something about the way he said that in conjunction with his expression alerted Katara, and she rubbed her hands together reflexively.

"You still haven't forgiven yourself for burning me, have you?" she asked quietly. He started, then looked down, stroking Appa's fur absently.

"Actually, I think I have," he answered. "It doesn't mean I've forgotten, though. Every time I think about firebending, I see you crying." He airbended the saddle down to the ground.

Katara didn't know what to say for a while. She hated to think that she was holding Aang back, but it seemed that she was. She was also afraid that her deep-seated hatred of most firebenders had prevented him from even trying.

"You said you'd never firebend again," she remembered aloud, and he nodded.

"I meant it, too," he told her. "The Guru told me that I had to accept that firebending was as much a part of me as the other bending types. I did, but…"

"You still haven't done any," Katara finished, shaking her head. "Not really. I'm sorry, Aang. This is my fault." How had she failed to notice that he hadn't made any efforts to learn firebending until Zuko had shown up?

"Your fault? How?"

"We spent all those weeks in the Fire Nation, and you never once tried to take a firebending class, even though you snuck into a school. I should have noticed. I should have encouraged you to at least watch somebody, like at that festival we went to before we met Jeong Jeong."

"Katara, it's not your fault. I should have thought about it before there were only three days until the eclipse."

"Well, it doesn't matter now," Katara brushed aside the argument. She struggled to find the words she hoped would break down the mental block she feared he'd created against firebending. "You need to learn this. The Guru was right; firebending is a part of you. I love all of you, including the fact that you can firebend."

"Really?" he sounded so genuinely surprised that Katara was sure she had made the right decision by encouraging him in this.

"Really," she assured him, impulsively taking his hands. "You need to become a firebender, and I want you to. Now go. Zuko is probably waiting." Aang hesitated only a moment longer before nodding and going off to his lesson.

***

Zuko paused beside Toph on his way to the cave entrance Aang had indicated. Aang and Katara were deep in conversation, and Zuko thought he probably had a couple of minutes.

"They're very close, aren't they?" he remarked to the small earthbender.

"Practically joined at the hip," she agreed, and Zuko noticed that he hadn't had to say who he was talking about. He sighed somewhat wistfully.

"I don't think I've ever had that with anyone," he said.

"Me neither," Toph replied, and there seemed to be a melancholy in her tone that Zuko wouldn't have expected from someone so young. He looked down and saw that she was sitting with a strange, black, metallic material between her hands, shifting it rapidly into different shapes with her earthbending.

"What is that?" he asked her.

"A piece of space rock," she replied, which only heightened Zuko's curiosity. "This giant rock hit the ground when we were traveling through the Fire Nation, and the rest of us helped Sokka move a big chunk so he could make his sword out of it. This was a piece he saved for me." Zuko had wondered about the unusual color of Sokka's sword, and now he knew.

Zuko noticed that Toph's voice had become strangely soft as she spoke her last words, and he wondered if she, like him, was not used to getting gifts from people. He certainly didn't know how to have a friend or be one, and he sensed the same sort of discomfort from her.

"That was nice," he said absently.

"Yeah. Aang's on his way."

"Okay." Zuko recognized a dismissal when he heard one, so he went on into the cave. He descended down a rough, rock slope that was almost like uneven stairs. There were pools of water in there, steaming from the heat of magma beneath them. Zuko suddenly recalled how his uncle had once been captured because he'd paused to soak in a hot pool much like this one. He closed his eyes, inhaling the warm, moist air and letting the heat from the earth infuse his body. It wasn't long before Aang joined him.

"Do you think this will work for our training?" Aang asked as he moved to stand in front of Zuko.

"It's perfect," Zuko told him. "There's enough room, but we're out of sight. I also like the heat. It reminds me of…" he trailed off, uncertain how to finish that sentence. He'd been about to say "home," but he wasn't quite sure what the word meant anymore.

"It's a little hot for me, but I thought it would be a good place for firebending."

"Right," said Zuko, getting down to business. "Let's start with breathing." He waited while Aang took up his stance and began breathing, slowly and steadily. Zuko carefully took up a position to Aang's left.

"Good," Zuko continued. "Now we're going to create fire. Breathe in the steam, feel it filling you up. Feel the heat from the room. You're getting hotter by the second, so hot that you have to release some of the energy that's building up. Hold out your right hand and make a fist. When I tell you, take a deep breath. When you let it out, focus all of the heat in your body in your fist, and send it out as fire. NOW." The instructions weren't very precise, but Zuko wasn't looking for finesse or accuracy at the moment. He just wanted to see if Aang could make fire.

Aang inhaled deeply and furrowed his brow in concentration as he exhaled. A tiny spark emerged from his hand and fizzled almost immediately.

"That didn't work," he said unnecessarily, frowning at his hand.

"Let me try something else," Zuko suggested. He made a small flame in one hand. "Take this from me, and hold it in your hand." Aang looked at him uncertainly, but he reached out his right hand again. He flinched when the fire touched him, but when it became clear that he was not going to get burned and that he could control the tiny fire, he watched it in fascination.

"It feels like it's alive," he commented. "It's almost…breathing."

"It _is_ breathing," Zuko informed him, glad to have reached this level of understanding. "It breathes with you, just like the fire we practiced with before. Feel that connection, and concentrate on it until the fire becomes part of you." When Zuko thought he was ready, he told Aang to extinguish the fire by simply closing his hand, and he obeyed.

"What now?" Aang asked, and he seemed eager enough that Zuko judged he had gone past his initial fear of handling fire.

"We're going to try the fireball again. Same as before, try shooting fire out of your fist. Think about something that's a source of energy for you. Make it flow from your feet up through your body and out of your hand."

Aang closed his eyes as he prepared to follow these instructions, which made Zuko a little nervous, so he backed away a few steps. Five seconds later, he was glad that he had, as a ball of flame approximately two feet across shot out of the Avatar's fist, hissing as it met the water in the air and eventually dissipating. Zuko felt his jaw drop as he stared at the afterimage in front of his eyes.

"How was that?" came Aang's voice from beside him, and Zuko quickly schooled his features back into their usual impassive expression. It had been his mask since shortly after his mother's disappearance, so it wasn't that hard, and he knew he couldn't let Aang know of his surprise. He had to maintain control of these lessons, and he couldn't risk Aang getting frightened away from firebending again.

Still, as he turned to face his pupil, Zuko reflected that even Azula didn't have that much raw power. It really came home to him for the first time that Zuko was intentionally giving Aang the arsenal he needed to face the Firelord one day. Despite everything, Ozai was still Zuko's father, and he experienced a wave of doubt.

However, as he regarded the earnest face before him, Zuko realized that there was probably no one else in the world he could trust more with this knowledge. As he also recalled what he'd read about Avatar Roku, he knew that he had made the right choice.

"That was good," he said, careful to give no inflection to his voice and inclining his head only slightly in approval. "How did you get it to work?" He tried to make it sound like professional curiosity, which it largely was. Aang's face was already flushed from the heat of the room, but Zuko thought his cheeks reddened just a little more.

"It's going to sound weird," he warned.

"That's okay," replied Zuko. "It might help me teach you if I know what works for you."

"Well, this guru once told me that love is a form of cosmic energy," the Avatar explained. "So I thought about how much I love Katara and how much I want to keep her safe. It filled me up, just like you said."

Zuko was surprised at this answer. He had been largely taught to fuel his firebending with anger and hate. To use love was a completely alien concept. Aside from that, he would have thought Aang had much larger things to inspire him.

"You have a world to save, and one person is your motivation?" he said in disbelief. Aang gazed back at him pointedly.

"Were you trying to capture me for the glory of the Fire Nation or your father's approval?" Aang returned bluntly. That brought Zuko up short. He had used words like "honor" and "duty" as reasons why he persisted in the quest, but he knew that Aang was completely right.

"Point taken," he conceded wryly. "Anyway, now that we know you can create fire, I'll teach you the first set of forms." With Aang's block against firebending was gone, he learned quickly and had the forms nearly mastered in under two hours. Zuko found it hard not to be envious about that; it was almost like competing against his sister again. He set his personal feelings aside, however, and when he was satisfied with Aang's progress, he dismissed the young Avatar.

Zuko didn't immediately follow him, though. He needed a little time to himself, and this was as good a place as any. Tomorrow they would be going to see this Piandao, and Uncle Iroh might be there. Half of Zuko hoped that he would be, while the other half hoped he wouldn't. He was afraid to face his uncle after the things he had said and done, but at the same time, it was a confrontation he needed to have.

Zuko sighed, thoughtfully regarding the hot pools. Finally, he stripped down and found one that had a ledge he could easily sit on. He sank in and let the warmth envelop him. He could feel his tensions being pulled out of his body and into the pool as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Maybe, if he was lucky, they would all stay there.

--

Author's Note: I really thought they'd make to Piandao's this chapter, but there were some other things I wanted to take care of. It just goes to show that a writer can even be surprised by her own creation.

Review responses:

blue-kataang: Um, yeah, you are.

Katsumara: Thanks a lot! Combustion Man's whole purpose in the show seemed to be as an excuse for random action scenes, and his final episode was no exception. Some would say Zuko had to confront him to win over the Gaang, but I think that would have been easier if he'd never hired an assassin in the first place. I'm distinctly underwhelmed by the whole thing.

Dragon Firebender84: I don't want to dampen your enjoyment of the series, but I've never seen anything quite like this. I also wanted to ask you a question. Don't 3 or 4 minor errors per episode add up to one hugely flawed season, especially since some of them compounded each other?

luckychaos: I thought Shyu was probably executed, but there's always a chance I'll find a way to work him in.

BlackRose108: That's okay; I understand completely. I also wondered why they made such a point of bringing Teo, The Duke, and Haru along only to virtually ignore them for 4 episodes before having them conveniently disappear.

Fusion Blaster: Yes, but unfortunately, there were entirely too many of these "plot conveniences" for my taste. I mean, they're afraid to stay most places more than a day or two in the first season when only a few people are looking for them, but they hang around for two weeks when virtually the entire world is hostile?


	8. Chapter 8: Anxiety

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: It looks like it's taking me 8-9 days to post new chapters, so let's use that as my schedule. I suppose I should warn my readers that I'm going to go at least a little Toko with this story. Why? First, because I can. Second, because Maiko always seemed kind of weird and forced to me, and third, because I thought it was unfair that Toph didn't really end up with anyone.

**Anxiety**

"Hey, Princess, what are you doing in here?" Toph called out as she entered the cave, hearing the satisfying splash and muffled exclamation. She was still experimenting with nicknames for Zuko; coming up with the perfect one for someone was something of an art.

As she stepped onto the cave floor, the details of the natural space became clearer to her. The water in which Zuko was currently sitting dampened her senses somewhat, but she could tell where he was.

"What? How long have I been in here?" he managed to ask.

"I don't know," Toph shrugged. "Maybe an hour."

"Ugh! I need to get out of here." More splashing. "Could you just, uh…oh, right."

"If you've just realized it makes no difference to me whether you're dressed or not, congratulations," said Toph, smirking a little.

"I'm sorry," he apologized quickly, but she waved it away.

"No problem. Everyone does that."

"It's so easy to forget you're blind," Zuko remarked as he climbed out of the pool. Of course, once he stepped onto the solid rock, Toph could make out every contour of his body, but he didn't need to know that. He shook the excess water off of himself and began to slip into his clothes.

"I'll take that as a compliment," she told him sardonically.

"Are we leaving soon?" he said while dressing.

"Not really. We've decided to rest for a day or so." Toph had been quite happy with that decision. She knew they had to keep moving, but she wasn't too eager to take to the air.

"Why did you come to get me if we're not going anywhere?"

"I wanted to make sure you hadn't drowned or anything." Then, to make sure he couldn't read more into that than she intended, Toph added, "No one else can teach the Avatar firebending."

"Of course," he replied, but Toph wasn't completely sure she'd convinced him she didn't care about him. "Do you want to use the pools?"

"No, thanks. I don't really like water."

"Why not?"

"Well, I know I have to drink it and everything, but I don't like being surrounded by it." Toph was reluctant to confess her limitations, especially to a relative stranger, so she kept her answer vague. Zuko grunted noncommittally before asking another question.

"So, how do you…get around?"

"Earthbending. I feel vibrations through the earth, and I can use them to 'see' things."

"That's an amazing ability."

"I don't know about that," Toph returned. "It's just normal to me, like seeing must be for you. I'm even teaching Aang how to do it."

"Really? Can you teach me?" he sounded so eager that she actually felt bad about her answer.

"As far as I know, only earthbenders can do it," she told him apologetically. "And I think my blindness makes me more sensitive to it than most people."

"Oh."

"I think I can help you to use your other senses more, though."

"How?"

"Simple. Close your eyes and listen."

"Listen? To what?"

"To anything," Toph sighed impatiently. Sighted people! "When you're used to seeing with your eyes, you rely on them too much. Just take that away and pay attention."

There was silence as Zuko presumably took her advice. At any rate, he was standing still, which was a good sign. Toph could feel sweat building up at her temples and the small of her back. Now she knew why she hadn't come in here before.

"I hear the water bubbling," Zuko began. "I feel heat. Somewhere there's also dripping. I hear you breathing."

"Not bad for a first try," Toph approved. "Now if you don't mind, it's hot in here, and I'd like to get some air." At his agreement, she earthbended them back to the island's surface.

"Was it hard for you to teach Aang?" asked Zuko suddenly. Toph hadn't been expecting that.

"What do you mean?" she answered cautiously. She wasn't about to volunteer that she'd had any trouble getting Twinkle-toes to learn earthbending. Besides, as far as she was concerned, the problem had been with him, not her teaching. They paused at the cave entrance.

"It's just…the way he thinks…it's so different from what I'm used to," he seemed to be fumbling to explain himself.

"Tell me about it. I like to keep my feet planted on the ground, but he's happiest floating above it." Toph couldn't quite suppress a shudder. She didn't think she'd ever really get used to flying. All that emptiness around her – it was terrifying.

"I guess you are opposites, aren't you?"

"Not if you're talking about opposites attracting," she retorted vehemently.

"Uh, no…I wasn't –" he broke off, and Toph grinned at having caught him off guard. She let the silence stretch out, enjoying the awkwardness. When he spoke again, it was to change the subject, at least slightly. "How does Katara work with him?"

"I don't know much about waterbending. You'll have to ask her."

Another pause.

"I don't think I'm ready for that yet," Zuko stated flatly, and inwardly, Toph laughed.

***

The group rested on the island for the rest of that day and all of the next, taking turns keeping watch so they wouldn't' be completely surprised if something happened. Miraculously, nothing did, although Aang seemed a little jumpier than usual. During another firebending lesson, Aang admitted to Zuko that he'd spent most of his previous time here plagued by nightmares and daydreams. However, he seemed to sleep soundly enough to Zuko.

Certainly better than Zuko himself. The most restful sleep he'd had was when he'd dozed off in the hot pool. As much as Zuko wanted to see his uncle again, make sure he was all right, and beg his forgiveness, he was also very nervous about that meeting. Zuko knew he had made some huge mistakes where Iroh was concerned, and he wouldn't blame the old man if he decided to shut Zuko out of his life permanently. In his dreams, Zuko seemed to play out dozens of ways this could go, and most of them weren't reassuring.

They took off on Appa after dark, trusting the night to hide them for most of their journey while Aang again flew alongside. Once, they got too close to a watchtower and were fired upon, but they must have caught the sentries flat-footed because their aim was way off. The flaming projectiles passed harmlessly above them, and Sokka was reasonably certain they were out of sight before the soldiers could get a clear idea of the direction they were flying.

Regardless, Zuko's agitation grew the longer the flight dragged on. Only Toph seemed to notice, which was surprising considering how greatly reduced her senses were in the air.

"Okay, I know why _I_ hate flying," she said to him finally. "What's your excuse?"

Zuko almost smiled through his anxiety. She had such a blunt way of putting things that it could easily catch you by surprise.

"I might be seeing my uncle again tomorrow," he answered, trying to calm the butterflies in his stomach. "I'm worried about it."

"Why?"

Zuko looked at her like she were crazy, but the expression was wasted, so he tried to put it into his voice.

"I betrayed him," he said, just as bluntly as she could have. "I went against everything he'd tried to teach me, let him get arrested, then said some terrible things to him when he was in prison. How can I face him now?"

"You're young and stupid," Toph shrugged. "If this group can forgive you for that, your uncle can, too."

"Not everyone here has forgiven me," he reminded her, ignoring the insult that was, after all, true. He spared a glance toward the waterbender who was leaning against the front of the saddle and hardly taking her eyes off of Aang. The sight reminded Zuko of something else Aang had said during their last lesson, talking a little more about how Katara inspired him.

"She makes me want to be a better person," he had explained, and Zuko couldn't help thinking back to his relationship with Mai. When he'd been with her, she had made him want to maintain the status quo, to continue pretending to be something he wasn't. He couldn't honestly say he'd ever wanted to be a better person for her sake, and maybe that was a sign that their relationship hadn't been meant to last. He'd enjoyed his time with her, but he didn't miss her unduly now, and he didn't think she'd understand what he was doing. He hoped his uncle would be proud of him, but he couldn't think of anyone else in his life who would be, including Mai. He thought briefly of his mother, the granddaughter of Avatar Roku, but that way lay only doubts and uncertainty as well.

"Oh, don't worry about Sweetness," said Toph reassuringly, dragging Zuko's thoughts back to the present. "It takes her a while to warm up to people. Well, except for Twinkle-toes, I guess."

"Sweetness? Twinkle-toes?" Zuko echoed. He thought maybe he'd heard her use those terms before, and now was as good a time as any to get an explanation.

"Katara and Aang," Toph explained. "I like to come up with nicknames for people. I'm still working on yours."

"Oh." Zuko pondered that for a moment. "Why do you call Aang Twinkle-toes?" He didn't care all that much, but at least the conversation was keeping his mind off his own problems.

"It has to do with how we met. He challenged me in an earthbending tournament."

"Wait," Zuko interrupted. "You were in an earthbending tournament?" He'd seen many earthbenders in his travels, and most of them were big, muscular men. It was hard to imagine this tiny girl mixing it up with them.

"I _was_ the tournament," she flared hotly. "I held the title. That's why we were asking for challengers to fight me for it. The title _and_ the money that went with it."

"So Aang challenged you, even though he didn't know earthbending yet?"

"Right. Well, he actually just wanted to get close enough to talk to me, but I wanted to fight. He kept avoiding everything I threw at him, and it would take him a long time to get back down to the ground. In the air, I couldn't 'see' him. That's when I started calling him Twinkle-toes."

"Who won?" Zuko asked curiously, although he had a pretty good idea because she hadn't volunteered the information.

"He blew me out of the ring, so he beat me," Toph admitted.

"But he cheated because he was using airbending."

"Well, yeah. Eventually, the people in charge of Earth Rumble figured out something wasn't right, but they thought I took a dive." Her face and voice grew angry at the thought, clearly indicating what she thought about that. "I would _never_ take a dive!"

"I believe you," Zuko assured her. "It still bothers you, though, doesn't it?"

"What?"

"That Aang beat you at something, even if it wasn't fair."

"What do you care?" she shot back sourly.

"I'm just trying to figure you out." That earned him a mysterious smirk.

"Yeah? Well, keep trying, Firebreath." Apparently, she was trying out a nickname for him. He hoped she would test some others because he didn't think this one would be his first choice. Not that his opinion was likely to matter much.

"We're almost to Master Piandao's island," Sokka announced then, shouting to be heard over the wind. Shortly after that, Appa descended rapidly, causing Toph to grab onto Zuko for support. Meanwhile, Zuko's butterflies were coming back with a vengeance.

"I don't know if I made my point earlier," resumed Toph when they were skimming the water and Katara was making more fog to cover their approach to the land.

"Oh?" said Zuko absently.

"The point is, I've met Iroh a couple of times," she continued. "He loves you very much. I'm sure he'll accept you." As Zuko began to see the dark shapes of land in front of them, he felt a lump rise in his throat and hoped fervently that Toph was right.

"Thank you," he told her simply. They landed in a secluded spot surrounded by rocky ridges.

"We'll camp here until dawn," Sokka told everybody after they'd landed and dismounted. "I don't want to drag Master Piandao out of his bed."

The unpacking was minimal because they weren't staying long, but the others got out their sleeping rolls and arranged themselves to get some rest. As they drifted off, one by one, Zuko remained awake, watching.

--

Author's Note: I know I've been focusing a lot on Zuko lately, but I do have a reason for that. It's also exposition chapters like this that are the reason my outlines usually indicate a much shorter story than my actual writing turns out to me. I don't think too many of you will be complaining about that.:)

Review responses:

blue-kataang: I try. Thank you.

Katsumara: I sort of answered your last questions in the author notes, but do we really know how Zuko feels about Mai? He apparently didn't think about her during his 3 years of exile and left her without a word. Mai says she loves him, but the closest he comes is "I don't hate you, too."

luckychaos: I like to cover training, and the show didn't spend any time on firebending lessons really, which seemed extremely unfair to me.

Aryck1095: Thank you!

86thetomato: I'm trying to keep my ranting about the third season to a minimum, but I found it very disappointing.


	9. Chapter 9: The Old Masters

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Wow, look at that – I'm early! Finally, this is the chapter I've been trying to get to for a while.

**The Old Masters**

Aang woke to sunshine in his face. It wasn't a completely unpleasant awakening, and he sat up from his "bed" on Appa's leg and stretched. He felt…well, not exactly refreshed, but at least rested enough to get through the day. He was still a little sore, but his young body was adapting quickly to the new exertions he was demanding of it.

Looking around their improvised campsite, he could see that he was the first to be moving about. One person, however, sat as still as a statue, giving every indication that he hadn't moved all night.

"Zuko? Didn't you sleep?" Aang whispered. As though his voice were a summons, Katara stirred nearby. She would soon be fully awake.

"I couldn't," replied Zuko softly. Aang airbended off of Appa, careful not to wake the bison, and walked over to Zuko. He thought he understood. He sometimes wondered what Monk Gyatso would think of him now, how he would feel about the choices Aang had made. Zuko was getting the chance to find out what his uncle thought, and it made sense that he might have mixed feelings.

"What's going on?" came Katara's voice as she sat up in her sleeping roll.

"It's morning," Aang announced cheerfully.

"I guess we should get ready to go, then," she said, and without further hesitation, she thumped her brother's chest with the flat of her hand.

"Oof! What!" he practically yelled, raising his boomerang in one hand and reaching with the other for the sword that lay in its scabbard beside him. All the activity disturbed Toph, who sat up and yawned.

"What's all the fuss about?" she demanded as Katara and Zuko set out to wake the others.

"It's time to go to Piandao's," Aang answered everybody. He leapt up to Appa's back to fetch some breakfast. He was suddenly very hungry.

"You have no earthly right to be so chipper in the morning," Sokka complained, and Aang looked down to see his friend gazing blearily up at him.

"This'll cheer you up," he responded, tossing down a pear. The sight of food did seem to perk Sokka up, and he caught it deftly with his free hand.

"Foo dunt sulve evvything, you know," Sokka mumbled around a full mouth, but Aang just grinned.

"I thought it did for you," Katara shot back at her brother. He glowered, but he was down to just a core by the time Aang reached the ground with his arms full. Sokka tossed the core aside to snatch another helping, and Momo caught the discarded core in midair, landing with his prize and munching on what little fruit was left on it. Aang distributed the food, going up for another armload to give to Appa.

Once everyone had eaten, they risked the short flight up to land in Piandao's sheltered garden. They had just dismounted when Piandao's servant emerged from the house, approaching them and bowing somewhat grudgingly.

"Master Piandao requests that you be brought to him at once," he said, and without waiting to see if they were following, he turned around and went back inside.

"Friendly," quipped Haru.

"Piandao is much nicer," Katara assured him. The sword-master was waiting for them just inside the door when they entered.

"I thought I might be seeing you again," he said, smiling. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We thought we should return something to you," Aang replied enigmatically, reaching into the pouch tied at his waist. He withdrew the white lotus tile and offered it. Piandao took it thoughtfully.

"Indeed? Why is that?"

"We thought you might have a guest who could use one," Sokka told him. "I wouldn't mind getting another lesson, either."

"We also thought your guest might like to see something we've brought with us," Toph added, shoving Zuko forward. Piandao left his contemplation of the Pai Sho tile to regard the prince's scarred face. Finally, he nodded.

"I believe you are right," he said slowly and led them to one of the rooms in his house. He paused at the door to announce their arrival: "Iroh, we have some more guests for tea."

The room contained a table upon which a tea set had been placed. The table was surrounded by cushions, and seated placidly on one of them and sipping from a cup was Iroh. He looked up to see the newcomers crowded in the doorway. Aang smiled automatically at the sight, happy that he looked well.

"Iroh? Is that you?" Toph pushed her way to the front. "You've lost some weight." Iroh fairly beamed.

"You noticed!" he exclaimed. "It is good to see you again." He hadn't mentioned Zuko's presence, and Aang found that strange, so he looked around to see that Zuko was again concealing himself behind the rest of the group. Aang exchanged a glance with Sokka, and the two of them worked with Haru to pull the prince into view. Iroh stopped exchanging pleasantries immediately, and the room became suddenly very quiet.

"Uncle," said Zuko awkwardly.

"Nephew," Iroh responded. "I must admit, I wasn't expecting to find you in such company."

"I know. I…" Zuko faltered, perhaps conscious of the audience.

"Let's leave these two alone," Aang suggested, enlisting Piandao's aid in herding everyone out. It was a nice day, so they ordered some drinks to be sent out to the garden where they could sit and talk amongst themselves.

***

It took Zuko a few seconds to realize that the room was empty of everyone except him and his uncle. Uncertain what to do or say next, he dropped to his knees and bowed his head. This was a position he seemed to be finding himself in a lot lately. Well, he had a lot to make up for, and apologizing to the people he had wronged was only the first step on the journey he had begun. That thought set off a distant bell in the back of his mind, but he couldn't dwell on it now. He had something important to focus on at the moment.

"I'm sorry," he began, feeling that those words were as appropriate as any. "You were right, about everything. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. I didn't know who I was, but I think I do now. At least, I know who I want to be. Everything I like about myself comes from you. I understand that now, but I feel so stupid that I didn't see it sooner. Maybe…maybe I had to get everything I thought I wanted to realize that it was all completely wrong. The worst part is that I betrayed you to get it. I took all of your teaching, all of your…love, and used it like a weapon against you. I don't know if you can ever forgive me for that – I don't know if I can forgive myself – but I wanted you to know that I finally see what you always wanted me to be, and I'm trying very hard to be that." Zuko ran out of both words and the strength to go on. Unexpected tears were welling up as he thought of what he had so carelessly thrown away a few months earlier, and he shut his eyes tightly to hold them back.

Iroh didn't say anything right away, but after a moment, Zuko felt arms enveloping him and a familiar head pressed close to him. At that display, Zuko couldn't help but release the emotion he was trying to contain.

"My beautiful prince," Iroh murmured as he pulled away, and it made Zuko feel a little better to see that he was crying, too. Zuko vaguely remembered the words from his spiritual fever.

"I'm not there yet, uncle," he corrected, wiping his eyes. "But I'm working on it."

"I knew you would find your way eventually."

"Then you knew more than I did." Zuko managed a smile through his tears. "As usual." Iroh smiled back.

"Actually, you are wiser than I. I, too, wanted my father's approval, even after I saw what he was. Why do you think I served him as a general? It was only after his death and the death of my son that I truly knew who I was supposed to be." Iroh's smile faded at the unpleasant memories. "This is why I forgive you." Zuko breathed a large sigh, feeling a lot of stress and worry leaving his body with the exhalation. Another silence followed, but it was not so awkward this time.

"I was going to break you out of prison," Zuko told him. "On the day of the eclipse. But by the time I got there, you were already gone. How did you do it?"

"Sheer brute strength," Iroh admitted. "It is not the first weapon of choice for a trained bender, but it has its uses." His smile was back, and Zuko took the opportunity to really look at his uncle for the first time. He'd been so preoccupied by what he was going to say that he hadn't been paying much attention earlier.

"You do look good," he remarked, and it was true. Uncle Iroh, Dragon of the West was now a far cry both from the overweight, retired general who'd shared Zuko's exile or the greasy, unkempt prisoner Zuko had visited. He was now clean, his hair was washed and combed, his beard trimmed, and his face exuded a healthy glow. More than that, he appeared to be freed of something Zuko couldn't quite put his finger on.

"I used my time of confinement well," said Iroh by way of explanation. Zuko shifted to a cross-legged position, feeling more relaxed than he had for some time, and the pair continued to catch up.

***

Sokka leaned back against a moss-covered rock, sipping at a glass of sweet, iced tea. It was a beverage that he had just invented. Perhaps it was his upbringing in the frigid South Pole, but he generally preferred cold drinks to hot. Therefore, it had occurred to him that if tea was good, it would be even better with some ice in it. Sure enough, chilled and sweetened with just the right amount of sugar, it was extremely refreshing.

Sitting among his friends, Sokka could understand why Master Piandao had chosen this place to live, and why Iroh had fled here. The garden was a quiet oasis in a chaotic world, and as he felt the warm sunshine on his face and smelled the sweet scent of growing things, Sokka could almost forget that there was still a war going on and that his father and girlfriend were languishing in Fire Nation prisons somewhere.

Almost.

"So you figured out what the tile meant?" Piandao was saying. He held the lotus tile between the thumb and forefinger of one hand, idly turning it over and over.

"Well, not exactly," Aang admitted. "We showed Zuko the tile, and he mentioned that it seemed to mean something to his uncle and to an old man they met in the Earth Kingdom. Like a secret message."

"It's something like that," allowed Piandao. "There is a group of people throughout the world, mostly men, who come to be masters of their craft. Many years ago, even before the rise of Firelord Sozin and his commitment to world domination, they formed an organization – a secret order, if you will. They called themselves The Old Masters."

"The Old Masters, huh?" Sokka repeated. "I kind of like the sound of that. Any chance I could be one of them?"

"You have the potential," Piandao informed him, grinning wryly. "Just keep training hard and age 30 or 40 more years." Sokka thought about that for a moment.

"I'm not in too much of a hurry to do that," he decided, and a ripple of laughter passed through the group. Bored with the conversation, The Duke wandered off through the bamboo.

"Anyway, the knowledge of this society was passed down through the years from master to apprentice," Piandao went on. "When a master saw a student that he thought would be a good fit, he would teach him Pai Sho."

"Pai Sho?" Aang interrupted. "Monk Gyatso taught me Pai Sho. I wonder if he was a member?"

"It's possible, but many people play Pai Sho. There are certain styles of play that identify one Old Master to another."

"And this white lotus tile is part of that?" Haru guessed.

"Exactly," Piandao affirmed. "Members of our order are also sometimes known as flowers."

"So, do you know everybody who's part of this group?" asked Katara curiously.

"Not automatically, no," replied Piandao. "Naturally, we've had to keep our existence secret, especially in the last hundred years. The white lotus tile is a symbol, and there are passwords that we sometimes use to find others like us."

"I do like secret passwords," Sokka sighed wistfully. "Is that why you helped us before?"

"It is," said Piandao. "Part of the knowledge passed on by the flowers is the understanding that the world is one. The separations between the nations are meaningless, and we remain united despite them. We also try to keep alive the memories of the time before the Fire Nation declared war on the rest of the world. Memories that you embody, Avatar Aang." Aang bowed his head slightly.

"I do remember," he responded quietly. "But everything has changed so much in 100 years. Sometimes I think it's impossible to put things back together again."

"Nothing is impossible, especially for the Avatar," Piandao asserted heartily.

"No, but some things are really, really improbable," Sokka mused.

"Sokka!" his sister admonished, and Sokka knew he had probably said something wrong again. Before he could say anything else – either to remedy the situation or dig himself deeper – Teo interjected.

"I think there's hope," he said. "The prince of the Fire Nation has been teaching Aang firebending, and now we've met his uncle and you, who are some of these Old Masters. You are bringing people together, Aang."

"It may not be much, but it's a start," Toph agreed.

"Right," retorted Aang heavily. "Now all I have to do is convince Firelord Ozai to stop the war, and everything will be fine." Katara put her arm around him, and Sokka got the feeling that Aang's remark referred to something they'd already discussed.

"You'll find a way," she assured him, but Aang still looked a little conflicted. Sokka heard a noise behind him and turned to see what it was. Iroh and Zuko were approaching from the house. Both were smiling (and it somehow looked less creepy on Zuko than it had a few days ago), and there was an obvious affection and understanding between them now.

"Everything worked out?" Sokka asked, rather unnecessarily.

"Yes, excellently," Iroh was the one to answer. "I am very proud of my nephew." Zuko's pale cheeks colored, but his expression changed to one of determination.

"Katara, I realized something when I was talking to my uncle," he said as his eyes fixed on her. "Can we talk? Privately?" Sokka watched as an odd mixture of confusion, curiosity, and distrust battled for dominance in his sister's expression.

"Why?" she said, distrust winning in her verbal response.

"I just…there are some things I need to say to you." When she continued to hesitate, he added, "Please." That last word seemed to surprise her more than anything else. After exchanging a glance with Aang, Katara nodded slowly.

"All right." She rose to her feet and followed Zuko out of sight. Sokka watched them go curiously.

"What was that about?" he wondered aloud. He didn't get an answer, but he hadn't really expected one. He decided to keep an eye on Toph – she would surely react if she sensed anything strange happening. Satisfied that he had everything under control, he took a swallow of tea and munched on some ice that had also made its way into his mouth.

--

Author's Note: I'm really excited about the next chapter, so I might have that one done quickly. No promises, though. Life does get in the way sometimes.

Review responses:

Amira Elizabeth: Thank you, and I'm always happy to see you on my review boards. I understand your feelings about Zuko, but I think he actually needs more development in fanfiction than most characters to get him to go where he needs to. I will spend more time on Kataang in the future.

my trancey inspiration: Admittedly, the Toph/Zuko conversation in Ember Island Players was my favorite part of that episode. In a way, you could say I'm expanding on that idea.

Loupami: I'm getting mixed reactions on the Toko, but I think I'm going to have fun with it.

Tetsu Dienonychus: I'm surprised how many people just accept Maiko without questioning some aspects of it, but at least you and I are on the same page. I was actually a diehard Soko shipper for a long time, but I'll settle for Toko in a pinch.:)

Katsumara: I realize there wasn't a conscious effort to pair everybody up from the outset, but it was just so glaring at the end when Toph was the only member of the core group that wasn't with someone. The hug with The Duke at the end seemed to be trying to imply something, but it was pretty weak.

OMGavatarFTW: I am trying to update frequently, but I also have a life beyond my computer. I hope you continue to enjoy it. I like to have fun playing with the characters and challenging my readers' assumptions.

BlackRose108: I'm going to more or less let Toph and Zuko write their own story, so we'll see where it goes. As for the promise, Aang broke his word both in The Library and The Runaway, and it struck me as odd that no one really called him on it. I'll have to read your story.

nutshak: Well, thank you. I do aim to please. Mostly myself, but still…:)


	10. Chapter 10: Forgiveness

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I had the one tiny idea for Zuko apologizing to Katara, and it grew into an entire chapter. And as I thought, the writing went really fast. And yes, I'm guessing at the ages they were when things from their past happened.

**Forgiveness**

"So what is this about?" Katara demanded when Zuko had finally stopped. They were standing in a clearing past some shrubs, where the little brook that ran through Piandao's property bubbled along placidly for a while before plunging down the rocks toward the sea below. Katara wondered if Zuko had chosen this location because he guessed that she would feel more comfortable with her element nearby. If so, he'd guessed right, but she wasn't about to let down her guard.

"When I left home, I swore I would do my best to make things right," he explained. "I have a long way to go before that's done, but the first step was to apologize to people I'd hurt. Somehow, I forgot about one of them until today."

"Who?"

"You," he said simply. "We were in that cave for a while, and--"

"Aang's the one you owe an apology to, not me," Katara interrupted, not sure why this was bothering her so much.

"I already took care of that," Zuko reminded her, and Katara recalled that, in fact, one of the first things Zuko had done after she'd knocked him out of the sky was apologize to Aang. "He's forgiven me, but you haven't."

"What do you think you can say that will make me forgive you?" returned Katara belligerently, crossing her arms in front of her.

"I don't know," he admitted, "but I have to try. We started to get to know each other when we were trapped together, and you must feel like I set you up, got you to identify with me before I turned on you."

Katara nodded slowly but didn't speak, tilting her head to hear what he would say next.

"For what it's worth, everything I said there was true," he continued. "I didn't lie to you, but I did repay your kindness with violence. For that, I'm sorry."

Katara mulled that over for a moment as she considered how to respond.

"Aang almost died because of you," she said quietly. She was still haunted by the image of Aang being struck from behind and the memory of his limp body landing in her arms, the fear that she would never get the chance to tell him what he meant to her.

"I know, and believe me, I didn't expect that!" Zuko protested. "I only ever tried to capture Aang, not kill him. Okay, that didn't sound good, but that's not the point. I'm just trying to tell you that I didn't intend to fight you that day."

"You said you'd changed."

"I thought I had." Zuko looked down at the ground. "I guess it wasn't enough. Azula offered me a last chance to earn my father's acceptance, maybe even his love." He offered a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "I know it was stupid, but I was too weak not to take that chance." Katara felt tempted to sympathize with him again, but she shut it down. Not yet.

"So how do I know you won't relapse again?" she challenged.

"You don't," he told her bluntly, his honesty surprising her. "I'm not looking for your trust right now, just your forgiveness. I can tell you one thing, though. I've learned that if a father's love is something you have to work for, it isn't worth the effort."

Katara regarded him again in silence, digesting his words. She tried for a moment to imagine what it must be like to have a father like the pitiless Firelord, one who judged you based on your ruthlessness. Zuko must feel like he was climbing out of a dark chasm, trying to learn from outside observation how normal people were supposed to behave. It was really no wonder he had trouble interacting with people in any way that wasn't antagonistic, and somewhat to her surprise, she discovered that a part of her wanted to forgive him. However, she needed a question answered first.

"What happened to your mother?" she asked, as gently as she could manage. He looked at her sharply, clearly not expecting that.

"Why?" he said.

"You said you lost your mother to the Fire Nation like I did. I'd like you to explain that before I do anything else."

Zuko held her gaze for a few breaths before shrugging.

"To tell the truth, I don't know, exactly," he confessed. The rest came out in kind of a rush. "She disappeared when I was eight. My father told me some things the day I left…I think she killed my grandfather."

"What?" Katara exclaimed reflexively. Honestly, could this family possibly get any more dysfunctional? Zuko sighed, settling himself on the grass.

"You might want to get comfortable," he advised her. "It's a pretty long story." Katara frowned but found a flat-topped rock that made a reasonable seat. Then she nodded to indicate that she was ready.

"Keep in mind that a lot of this is what I've heard from other people, so I don't know how much of it is true," Zuko warned at the outset. "It started when my cousin Lu Ten, Uncle Iroh's son, died in the war and Uncle abandoned the siege of Ba Sing Se. He was still on his way home when my father asked for an audience with Firelord Azulon. Father asked if he could be named the heir to the throne in place of Uncle Iroh. His reason was that he still had living children, while his older brother did not."

Katara must have gasped aloud because Zuko's mouth twitched, and he acknowledged her response when he continued.

"Believe it or not, Grandfather Azulon reacted much the same way," he said. "He didn't think Father was appreciating Uncle's grief. Grandfather declared that Father needed to know the pain of losing a son. He ordered my father to kill me." This time, Katara clearly heard the hiss as she drew her breath in between her teeth.

"So what happened?" she asked breathlessly. Something had clearly interrupted that plan, since Zuko was sitting there in front of her. The left corner of his mouth quirked up in a wry grin.

"Don't think that my father had some fit of paternal feeling," responded Zuko. "He was going to do it, but Mom found out somehow. She came up with a way around it. She killed my grandfather in the night. I assume she must have used poison to make it look like he'd simply died of old age, in his sleep. My father was able to spread the word that the Firelord's deathbed wish was for him to take the throne instead of Uncle. Everyone got what they wanted – my father got his crown sooner than he expected, and my mother got to keep her son alive. But there was a price.

"My mother went into exile as punishment for her action, despite the fact that no one but her and Father knew and that he was part of the plot. She gave up the life she knew to save me."

Katara waited until she was sure he was done before she spoke again.

"Your mother might be alive then?" she wondered. "Somewhere?"

"Maybe. I don't have any way to track her down, though."

This really shed a new light on him, and Katara decided that one mother story deserved another.

"My mother was killed senselessly in a raid on our village," she told him bluntly.

"I'm sorry," he said, and he really sounded like he meant it. "Do you know why you were raided?"

"No," Katara shook her head, the imperfect memories flashing through her mind. "That was the only time in my life that the Fire Nation came. Well, until you showed up, anyway."

"That's strange." Zuko looked thoughtful. "Usually, the raiders do things for a reason. When was this?"

"About seven years ago."

Zuko frowned, his eyes intent but distant, as though looking down a path no one else could see.

"I think I remember that," he remarked softly. "The Southern Raiders returned to the palace one day after they'd been off on some mission. That was when I was first starting to take seriously the idea that I was going to be Firelord someday, and I liked hanging around soldiers and officials to hear what they were talking about. The leader of the Southern Raiders announced that he had killed the last waterbender at the South Pole."

"But – " Katara began, but she broke off as the possibilities began crowding in on her. "But _I'm_ the last Southern waterbender."

"Was your mother--?"

"No, she wasn't," Katara answered his question before he finished it. "It skipped a generation or two."

"But she knew you were by then?"

"Of course."

"Was she the only person who died?" This was spoken quietly, and Katara thought she knew what he was getting at.

"Yes," she responded, just as quietly. Now that she looked back on it, it was a little strange that only one person had died in the chaos. She had avoided thinking about that terrible day for so long, the day her childhood had effectively ended. She had only remembered she'd lost her mother and thought that was all she needed to know. Maybe it wasn't. "The Fire Nation showed up, set some things on fire, killed my mother, and left."

"That man must have thought she was the waterbender."

"Yes," Katara nodded, finding that it was her turn to be absorbed by memory. "He came into our home. He was questioning her. She must have lied to protect me. That's the only thing that makes sense." She felt tears welling up in her eyes, the pain fresh again with the new revelation.

"Your mother sacrificed herself for you." Zuko's words were practically a whisper, yet every syllable rang clearly in Katara's ears. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as the tears spilled out onto her face.

"I don't think she expected to die," she said, mostly to herself. "Before, the waterbenders from our tribe had always been taken away, not killed." There was a heavy silence.

"I think he's retired now, but maybe I can help you find your mother's murderer," Zuko offered at last. "You could finally face him." It was a tempting thought, but only for a handful of heartbeats.

"There's no need," she shook her head definitively, wiping her moist cheeks. "It's enough to know what happened. Strangely, it makes me feel better to know she died for a reason, not as a random act of violence. I feel a little guilty about being the reason for it, but…I guess you and I have more in common than I thought." Her mother had lost her life, while Zuko's had taken one. There did seem to be an odd sort of symmetry.

"Yeah." Zuko was looking at her expectantly, but it took Katara a moment to realize that he was still waiting for her to either provide or deny the favor he had asked of her. She regarded him for a short while longer before making her decision.

"I forgive you," she announced, and the words seemed to open her lungs so that she could breathe a little easier. "I think I understand now why you did what you did, and I don't blame you anymore."

"Thank you," Zuko bowed his head, and the relief in his voice was so pathetic that she actually felt a little remorse at having made him wait this long.

"You know something else?" she added. "I forgive the man who killed my mother, too. He was probably just following orders. When you get right down to it, this is all Firelord Ozai's fault, and his father and grandfather's. It's Aang destiny to deal with Ozai and the other two are dead, so I'm going to let it go. All of it." Katara was somewhat amazed to discover how deeply she meant what she said. She released all of the anger, resentment, hate, and anything else that had been tied to these past wrongs.

Suddenly, she felt incredibly light, and a broad smile spread slowly across her face. She was buoyant, as though floating in salt water. A great weight had been lifted from her, a weight she'd been carrying for so long that she'd forgotten it was there. She had always wondered how Aang could endure the losses he'd suffered, but she thought she finally understood.

"I have to talk to Aang," she announced, standing up quickly. She seemed to weigh nothing as she fairly floated across the grass. After a few steps, however, she turned back to Zuko, who had also stood up. "I'm really sorry I almost killed you," she added earnestly, and the memory now contained none of the inner conflict that had haunted her since it happened. She was sure she would never come that close to the brink again.

"It's okay," he told her. "I probably would have done the same thing." But Katara barely heard him, already on her way again.

***

There was a crashing of underbrush, and Aang turned to see Katara returning to the group. The abruptness of her reappearance made Sokka sit upright.

"Is everything all right?" he demanded, but Aang could tell from the smile on Katara's face that it wasn't trouble that hastened her approach.

"Everything's fine," she assured her brother, and her eyes fixed on Aang's. "In fact, they might be better than they've been in a long time. Aang, I need to see you." She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. Bemused, he allowed her to lead him off in a different direction.

"What's with all the private conversations?" Sokka called after them. "I thought we were a team." Katara ignored him, taking Aang into a stand of bamboo.

"What's this about?" asked Aang curiously, although the mere sight of her glowing face was making it hard for him to really focus on anything else.

"First of all, this," she said, leaning in to kiss him. While that was going on, Aang really _couldn't_ think about anything else, including the faint rustling in the nearby plants that sounded like an animal had been startled. When Katara released him, Aang's head was spinning, and he was suddenly aware of how little time they'd had alone together over the past few days. Katara danced away from him, darting between the bamboo stalks.

"Is this how you feel all the time?" she asked, whirling with an abandon he'd never seen in her before.

"I don't know what you mean," he returned, mystified by her behavior and trying not to laugh with the contagious happiness she exuded.

"Like you're light and free," she said. "I feel like I could float, even fly." She took hold of a thick bamboo stalk with one hand and turned rapidly around it. Aang felt his pulse quicken as he watched her move in and out of view, the intermittent sunbeams playing over her. She was radiant with an inner light. He'd always seen the spark within her, but it had now flared into full life, and the effect was intoxicating. Suddenly, she made one turn too many and looked in danger of losing her balance. Aang rushed to catch her around the waist and, once there, couldn't see any reason to let go. She giggled breathlessly, and he was reminded of the dance they'd shared in a cave not too far from here.

"Just let me get my glider, and that could be arranged," he offered, searching her face for clues to this change.

"And let somebody see us, maybe bringing soldiers down on Piandao?" Katara shook her head. "I haven't forgotten myself _that_ far."

"What happened?" he demanded then.

"I forgave Zuko," she explained. "I even forgave the man who killed my mother." At last, the pieces began to come together in Aang's mind, and a new smile spread slowly across his face.

"You see now, don't you?" He felt like they had reached a new level of connection, and he wondered if he was on his way to being as exuberant as she was.

"Yes, I do!" she exclaimed. "All this time, I thought carrying a grudge against these people would punish them, but it didn't. I was only hurting myself, holding myself back from…from _this_." Katara spread her arms to indicate the freedom she'd recently been expressing before resuming her embrace of Aang.

"Hate is a prison that closes you in," Aang agreed, "and revenge is a disease that eats you from the inside. If you let both control you long enough, there won't be anything left."

"I never understood how you could be so forgiving," Katara sighed. "Now I think I get it. Although…" She trailed off, her expression growing serious.

"What?" he prompted, also sobering.

"I still don't know how you manage the grief. I only lost my mother; you lost everybody. How do you deal with that? You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," she added quickly. Aang looked down and bit his lip.

"No, it's okay. I may have lost everyone I knew before, but I found someone, too. I found you. You helped me get through the grief."

"I did? How?"

"It's sort of hard to explain, but it's because I love you. I still miss my people, but the love of the other Air Nomads is in me. By giving that love to you, it's like they're still here. Does that make sense?"

"More than I would have expected," replied Katara, hugging him tightly. "And you've shown me the same thing – that my mother's love goes on as long as I can love others, and I love you, Aang."

Aang closed his eyes and sighed contentedly. This beautiful girl – young woman, really – could have chosen anyone in the world. By some miracle, she loved him, and it occurred to him to ask why. With an effort, however, he suppressed the impulse. It was time he stopped questioning when things went his way for a change.

--

Author's Note: I even got a nice Kataang scene out of that. I liked the idea of covering Katara's mom's sacrifice without devoting an entire episode to it as well as adding a new layer to her relationship with Aang.

Review responses:

musiclover9419: Well, thank you for being open-minded. I generally tend to be a canon shipper.

arizony: Thank you, and I know what you mean. Clearly, I'm not in this for the money.:) And I know you've been busy with your own story.

Amira Elizabeth: How was that for Kataang? I certainly preferred this concept of Katara's forgiveness to her going on a revenge mission and brushing Aang off several times.

Katsumara: Iroh is definitely a better dad! I hope this chapter fulfilled your expectations. The apology scene did take more space than I expected.

Galaxi: Of course I wouldn't make it Zutara! I didn't even have Katara hugging Zuko, although I considered it. She'll probably do it eventually, just in a friendly way.

Tetsu Dienonychus: Thank you very much. Destiny's Call remains my most popular story by far, but I suppose it wasn't for everyone. The reason I'm writing this was the show's failure to wrap up all of the subplots in a satisfactory manner.

BlackRose108: Aang promised not to misuse the knowledge of the library. Technically, it could be argued that trying to end the war quickly wasn't misuse, but I don't think Quan Xi Tong (or however that was spelled) saw it that way. At least I didn't make you wait too long.


	11. Chapter 11: Summons

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Well, I appear to be more or less back on schedule. We're reshuffling the group and moving onto the next stage of the journey here.

**Summons**

Zuko, feeling like he'd just traveled a gigantic distance, made his leisurely way back to the group. He was just reaching them when there was a rustling from another direction, and The Duke burst out of the bamboo.

"What's a kid have to do to be alone around here?" the small boy complained.

"Why?" asked Teo. "What happened?"

"Kissing!" The Duke announced, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Sokka sat up suddenly, his drink sloshing over the side of his glass. Glancing around to register who was missing, Zuko surmised that Katara had returned and pulled Aang off with her. That would also explain Sokka's sudden, keen interest.

"Kissing?" Sokka repeated. "Was there anything else?"

"Isn't that enough?" The Duke returned. "I didn't stick around to see any more." Zuko coughed in order to avoid openly laughing. He remembered feeling that way about displays of affection at one time. It felt like a lifetime ago, although it had really been more like 5 years. Piandao and Uncle Iroh were looking amused in the wistful, placid manner that Zuko often found so irritating in his elders.

"Maybe I should –" Sokka began, setting his glass down and half rising from his seat. Uncle Iroh, however, stretched out an arm in a restraining gesture.

"Oh, let them be," the old man advised. "They are young and in love. With everything else they have to worry about, give them this." Sokka slowly took his seat again, but he looked over at Toph.

"Toph?" he asked hopefully.

"Don't ask me to do your spying for you," she retorted, folding her feet up beneath her to punctuate her point. Zuko was impressed by this display and wondered just how much she had reduced her sensitivity to what was going on around her. If she were truly blinding herself to respect her friends' privacy, that said a lot about their relationship.

"So, it appears things went well with you, Your Highness," Piandao changed the subject.

"It's just Zuko now, but yes," Zuko agreed. He found an empty patch of ground to sit on and relaxed for the first time in…years, possibly.

"What did you have to talk to Katara about?" Haru asked curiously.

"I needed to apologize for turning on her in Ba Sing Se," Zuko explained shortly. "She forgave me."

"She did?" More than one voice was involved with that, but it was Sokka's that stood out. Meeting the warrior's eyes, Zuko decided he should probably share the rest of what they'd discussed. Sokka had as much right as his sister to know why his mother had died.

"I was surprised, too," Zuko admitted. "Relieved, but surprised. It did take quite a bit of talking. In the process, we also figured out what happened to your mother." Sokka's jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?" he said, both caution and suspicion evident in his voice. "She was killed by the Fire Nation."

"Yes, but we think we know why." Zuko went on to tell everyone else what he and Katara had been able to piece together. When he finished, the only sounds were insects, birds, and the clinking of Uncle's teacup against its saucer.

"Thank you for telling me," Sokka finally broke the silence. "It doesn't really change anything, but it's nice to know the truth, I guess." Zuko considered mentioning that this knowledge had appeared to change Katara's outlook on life dramatically, but he decided against it. That felt like more of a personal thing, and if Katara wanted to share it with her brother, that was her business.

"The truth will set you free," Uncle Iroh remarked sagely, and that seemed to be the end of the topic.

***

On the second day of their stay with Piandao, the messenger arrived. Teo and the rest of the group that had become the Avatar's rather impressive entourage had joined Piandao and Iroh in a formal dining room for breakfast. While some of the guests were taking advantage of sleeping quarters in the house, Teo and Katara among them, many had preferred to stay in the garden. This was partly because a few – like Aang and Sokka – had grown used to camping out in the open, but it was also because Piandao's house simply didn't have room for them all. Therefore, breakfast was a time for them to gather together and prepare for their day.

There was a faint knock on the door, and when Haru opened it, Piandao's servant flashed a Pai Sho tile. Teo thought it was the same white lotus everybody had been making a fuss about earlier. Piandao and Iroh excused themselves, requesting pardon for the interruption while Aang, Katara, and Sokka exchanged meaningful glances. Teo couldn't tell what the glances meant, but he could tell they were meaningful. Teo didn't consider himself to be stupid by any measure, but he was aware that he didn't fully understand all the subtext of the events that went on around him.

Teo continued to watch the trio that had first shown up at his home several months ago, finding them fascinating. They had been through so much together, and Toph almost as much, that they worked as a team without appearing to put much effort into it.

Aang and Katara sat beside one another, almost but not quite touching, somehow conveying intimacy without doing anything overt. For all his protectiveness, Sokka appeared blissfully unaware of this, which led Teo to wonder how long Aang and Katara had acted this way _before_ expressing their feelings for each other outright. Clearly, long enough for Sokka to ignore it as part of the background. Interesting.

Sokka and Katara, meanwhile, continuously exuded an indefinable sibling dynamic that had clearly expanded at some point in their history to include Aang. Toph was a part of this core, too, but to a lesser extent. Watching the interplay between all four, Teo recognized how little he fit. What was he, after all, but a cripple with a light spirit and above average intelligence who'd happened to fall into their path? He wasn't a bender, wasn't even really a fighter. What did he have to offer?

Teo shifted his gaze to Haru and The Duke. He felt a certain kinship to the two boys because they were also on the outskirts of this group. He'd spent a fair amount of time with them while Aang and the others were busy solving the problems of the world. They were already on the way to becoming good friends, and it was odd for Teo to think about the fact that their origins were so far apart that he probably never would have met them if the Avatar had not entered his life.

There were other similarities, too. Teo's father and Haru's father were both now captives of the Fire Nation, and both were only children. The Duke never talked about his family, but it was at least clear that he was currently on his own. Haru was an earthbender, though not even close to as good as Toph. Under his father's tutelage, he still had a chance to be great, but for most of his life, earthbending had been forbidden to him.

The three "outsiders" had already come up with a plan to make themselves useful in a way that utilized their talents better than simply tagging along. They were just waiting for the right time to tell everybody and implement it.

As Piandao and Iroh returned to the room, Teo had the feeling that time had just arrived. The two men didn't look exactly somber, but there was an air about them that something important had just happened, or was going to happen.

"The message was from other Old Masters," Piandao explained as they resumed their seats. "Some of them are gathering at Ba Sing Se and want us to help take the city back."

"It even sounds like King Bumi has left Omashu and plans to meet everyone there," Iroh added. Aang suddenly sat up very straight.

"Bumi?" he repeated. "Is he okay?"

"It's hard to say from a brief message, but I believe so," Iroh replied.

"How did he escape?" Sokka asked.

"Apparently, he used the eclipse to slip away while none of the guards could firebend," Piandao answered.

"The right time," said Aang thoughtfully.

"Who's King Bumi?" Teo couldn't resist interjecting the question. He'd never been terribly involved in politics, being isolated at the Northern Air Temple for most of his life, but he was pretty sure that wasn't the Earth King's name. "Do you know him?" Aang shook himself as though he'd been lost in his own thoughts briefly.

"Oh, yeah," he responded. "He's an old friend of mine, from before…before…"

"Before Aang got trapped in an iceberg for 100 years," Katara supplied. Teo smiled faintly. They were even finishing each other's sentences now. Surely a wedding couldn't be too far away. Teo couldn't remember his own mother, but he'd had enough opportunities in his childhood to observe married couples that he more or less knew what they were like.

"When is this supposed to happen?" interrupted Zuko quietly. Teo turned his attention in that direction, having almost forgotten the prince was there.

"We believe we can all make it in four weeks," Piandao responded. "That also gives us some time before the comet arrives."

"No matter how powerful we are, we wouldn't want to attack a city full of firebenders at their full potential," Iroh agreed. "Perhaps I can find some other use to make of the comet, when it arrives."

"In the meantime, Uncle, will you come with us?" said Zuko earnestly. "I could use some help training Aang. Nobody knows the advanced techniques like you, and you're a much better teacher than I am."

Uncle and nephew locked gazes for a short time, and even Teo could sense that there was something more to Zuko's request than he was saying.

"I need to support my fellow Masters at Ba Sing Se," Iroh replied at last. He almost sounded like he was testing Zuko somehow.

"We could still get you there in time," insisted Zuko. "Right, Aang?"

"I'm sure we could," the Avatar agreed. "We've got some things to do near there, anyway."

"We'd like to help free the city, too," added Katara. "I still feel sort of responsible for its fall. You guys left me there to keep an eye on things—"

"It's not your fault, Katara," said Aang quickly, covering her hand briefly with his. "If anything, it's mine."

"Let's not waste time assigning blame," Iroh interrupted.

"I agree," said Sokka. "But there's still a problem. Our group is getting kind of big for Appa to handle."

This was it. Teo exchanged glances with Haru and The Duke, nodding slightly. Haru cleared his throat and spoke for them.

"Actually, we've been talking about that," he began, indicating Teo and The Duke. "We're going to stay here."

"Here?" Toph echoed, looking perplexed. "What do you mean, here?"

"In the Fire Nation," clarified The Duke matter-of-factly.

"Master Piandao's already agreed to let us stay here for a couple of days," Teo added. He felt a little badly about going behind the others' back on this, but the three of them had agreed it was necessary to come up with a plan on their own. They couldn't continue slowing Aang down, but they needed to come up with a viable alternative. "After that, we'll travel through the Fire Nation, like you did before the invasion."

"Doing what?" inquired Sokka. His eyes had narrowed, and Teo could see he was considering the possibilities. That was a good sign.

"You know, looking around, getting a feel for the people," Haru shrugged. "Maybe even find some prisoners and enlist them to help us." Naturally, he was hoping to release his father along the way, but they had previously agreed not to let personal motivations creep into this conversation.

"I told you I wanted to be a spy," The Duke reminded everyone gleefully. "We can meet you in the capital when you get there."

"Maybe even with some help," Teo said. He might not be as enthusiastic about it as The Duke, but he had to admit he rather liked the idea of raising an underground army of freed prisoners to greet the Avatar when he came to conquer the Firelord once and for all. It didn't hurt to think that his father might be among them.

"That's actually a good idea," mused Sokka thoughtfully. "You don't even have to limit yourselves to prisoners of war. There are a lot of people in the Fire Nation who aren't happy."

"Really?" Teo hadn't even really considered that.

"Not happy? They're miserable," Katara confirmed, looking a little angry. "The Firelord is so busy conquering the world that he doesn't take care of his own people."

"Are you sure you three can pull it off?" Toph asked skeptically.

"Haru's an earthbender, and the rest of us have fought the Fire Nation before," The Duke answered with the confidence of the very young. "We'll get the job done."

"Actually, I was talking about blending in," Toph clarified.

"We're basically just ordinary people, compared to you," said Haru modestly. "If you could do it, we can."

"You're going to need money," announced Katara suddenly. "We'll give you most of ours."

"What?" Sokka was incredulous.

"We're not going to need much," Katara told him firmly. "We'll be trying to avoid people, remember? After all the trouble you three went through to get it, we might as well put it to good use."

"It would also lighten the load for Appa," offered Aang hesitantly. There was a pause while Sokka thought the whole thing over.

"Yeah," he said finally. "Yeah, you're right. It's weird, but…it's hard to let that money go now, even knowing I don't need it."

"I can't believe, after owning almost nothing your whole life, you're getting attached to some shiny pieces of metal," Katara accused exasperatedly.

"Well, of _course_ it sounds stupid when you put it _that_ way!" Sokka shot back.

"So it seems we are decided then?" Iroh inserted himself as the peacemaker, which caused Aang to look somewhat relieved. The siblings turned to look at him as though they'd forgotten he was there. "I will join you, and these three will remain here?"

"Yes, we're decided," said Aang, following Iroh's lead. He rose and bowed to the old firebender. "I will be honored to have you with me."

"The honor, young Avatar, is all mine."

The remainder of the day was passed largely in repacking Appa's saddle and making plans for the next leg of the Avatar's journey. Teo was a little sad to be separating from them, but he knew he was embarking on an adventure of his own, and he was looking forward to it.

--

Author's Note: Okay, yes, I'm getting rid of the minor characters, too, but I think it's a lot smoother and more logical than just ignoring them for several episodes and having them mysteriously disappear. I've also given them a part to play in the final battle, which I think ties their roles up nicely.

Review responses:

musiclover9419: My initial outline indicated 21 chapters, but it will probably be closer to 30. Part of this chapter was originally going to be in Chapter 8, to give you an idea of where I am right now. Glad you're liking it so far.

AirGirl Phantom: Thank you and welcome back! I think you mean everything that _didn't_ happen to Toph in the third season. No boyfriend, no Zuko field trip, no major role in the final battle. I thought of re-writing the entire season, but this seemed like a reasonable place to start instead.

arizony: Once again, thank you for your kind words. I can hope that M. Night Shyamalan will feel free to borrow from fanfiction to round out his version, but I won't count on it. I'm glad that I've been able to inspire other amateur writers like you, at any rate.

my trancey inspiration: I liked that we actually got to see some of the other characters in TSR, but I agree. It was weird for Katara to have her resentment about her mother's murder wrapped up in her hate toward Zuko, but not the fresher pain of almost losing Aang, and I hated her brushing Aang aside.

Tetsu Dienonychus: Well, that's the way I felt. If I hadn't had the idea for the Kataang bit afterward, I probably wouldn't have had both parties forgiven at the same time, but it all seemed to flow so naturally in my head.

jngp: As I think I said to someone else, I considered having Katara hug Zuko there, but it didn't feel right. She'll do it eventually, but it was just too soon. Even in the show, it took about two weeks (from new moon to full moon), and it's only been some five days since Zuko joined them here.

BlackRose108: I think we were all waiting for some reference to Katara's feelings for Aang in TSR, but instead, it was all about her mother. The show set up all of these threads and then failed to tie them together. I'm trying to do that, and I'm happy some readers are noticing.

blue-kataang: Thanks! I'm trying to keep on a fairly regular schedule with my updates.


	12. Chapter 12: Refuge

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I'm sorry this is late, but last week was Technical Week for a play I'm volunteering for. Those of you familiar with the theatre know what that means, but for those that don't, I was basically at the theatre about 5 hours each night, after putting in an 8-hour day at work. Honestly, it's amazing I got done this soon.

**Refuge**

After much discussion, they had decided to take the shortest and least populated route to the Eastern Air Temple, cutting west across the ocean. Aang was back in his traditional place on Appa's head, guiding them. With the absence of three people and their gear, Appa was able to carry them all again, and for longer periods. After all, Iroh had dropped quite a bit of weight during his incarceration, and having just escaped from prison, he had no belongings.

Aang knew that Sokka would have preferred to fly east, skirting the edge of the Earth Kingdom. He was probably hoping to find Suki before reaching the Eastern Air Temple, but the others had prevailed upon him. Ever since the fall of Ba Sing Se, they couldn't really count on finding friendly settlements in the Earth Kingdom, and they had no way of knowing where Fire Nation military presence might be. All in all, it was safer to cross the water as quickly as possible, stopping at remote islands along the way. This meant they had to travel for most of each day because such islands were few and far between, so Aang was not training much during this time. He knew he'd have to make up for it later, but in the meantime, he enjoyed the rest.

It was not, however, very much fun for most of the group. Toph constantly griped about not being able to see anything during the long hours of travel, and Iroh, as a new flyer, was not faring much better. Zuko occasionally snapped at both of them as they tried his patience, and Sokka draped over the saddle in an attitude that alternately conveyed boredom and annoyance.

Despite all this, Aang was enjoying the trip well enough. He was happy to have the constant companionship of his bison once more and to be spared the effort of flying his glider all this distance. Besides, Katara sometimes climbed up to join him, probably to escape the drama unfolding within the confines of the saddle. As it happened, she was with him near the end of their second day of travel, as the towers of the Eastern Air Temple emerged out of the clouds in front of them.

"Oh, Aang!" she gasped. "It's beautiful. And huge!" Aang had to agree that - from this distance, at least - the temple was indeed beautiful. The buildings had somehow remained mostly intact through the decades of neglect. He knew from his recent visit that there were plenty of cracks inside, and the local vegetation was trying to take over some areas, but it seemed to be in the best condition of all the temples. Well, best _original_ condition, he amended. The new residents of the Northern Air Temple had restored the place pretty well, even though they'd made some changes that Aang hadn't been happy about at first.

"It was the largest of the temples," he said aloud. "I might decide to live here after this is all over."

"You wouldn't go back home?" Katara sounded surprised, and it occurred to Aang that he'd never really asked her what she would want to do if he succeeded in bringing the war to an end. She would probably want to return to the South Pole. Her home and family were there, and he couldn't take those from her today any more than he could have on the day they met. On the other hand, he didn't think he'd be able to live there permanently. As the Avatar, he was bound to be needed throughout the world from time to time, and the poles were just too remote to make that practical. What would that mean for their relationship?

_Slow down, _Aang reined in his thoughts. _We've been a couple for what, a week? Let's just take things one step at a time._

"I guess I might go back for a little while," he conceded. "Maybe clean things up a little, make some kind of memorial, I don't know. It's just too hard to get to for me to live there forever. Easy to defend, sure, but hard to entertain guests." _Or raise a family_, he added internally, but he didn't want to frighten her with such ideas at this point. It hadn't escaped his notice that if there were going to be more airbenders in the world, he would have to produce them, but until she made a similar observation, he wasn't going to mention it.

"That's true," Katara agreed. "If Appa really is the last sky bison, the only way for anyone to get there easily would be by balloon. I wasn't thinking about that, I guess. I was just thinking that you'd spent your childhood there."

"I'm a nomad, Katara," he reminded her, smiling even as he felt the internal pang when he realized the truth of their different backgrounds. Now he knew that she felt a connection to the South Pole that he didn't share. He could only hope that wouldn't come between them. "I don't really have an attachment to any particular place." That might not have been completely true 100 years ago, but there was nothing at the Southern Air Temple for him now. There were no playmates to test his airbending against, and only his mentor's bones remained where Aang had buried them before moving on to Kyoshi Island. Gyatso's spirit, the only thing that could have drawn Aang to the place, was not there.

As he considered these things, Aang suddenly understood that home truly was not a place to him. Instead, it was a person – Katara. Wherever she was, he'd be home, and the thought made him feel better about where they might end up. He would be happy wherever she decided to settle.

They landed and began to unpack. Since they didn't know for certain how long they'd be staying here, it made sense to make themselves somewhat at home. Aang gave everyone a quick tour, showing them the rooms that non-airbenders could most easily access. Once his host duties were done, he slipped away to do a little exploring of his own. Every place he looked was deserted, and he ended up at the top of the series of pools where Guru Pathik had explained the concept of chakras and the flow of chi.

The water still flowed unimpeded, and Aang felt that his own chi was flowing just as easily. He'd learned to channel his love in a useful manner, even wield it as a weapon of sorts. It was odd to think of it that way, yet there was a certain symmetry in the concept. Why not take something disdained by the Firelord, perhaps seen as a weakness, and use it to defeat him? Surely, that was true justice.

"Are you okay?"

Aang jumped at the voice and turned, even as he recognized that it belonged to Katara.

"You startled me," he apologized for his reaction. "I'm okay. I was just wondering if the Guru might still be here."

"He doesn't seem to be. Are you disappointed?" Katara asked. Aang thought it over seriously before answering.

"No," he decided. "Actually, I'm kind of relieved he's not here. I didn't want to have to go over old ground again. I think he taught me what he could, and we've both moved beyond that. It feels right this way."

"I admit I'm getting curious to meet him."

"Well, who knows? Maybe he'll cross our path again."

"Maybe." Katara shook herself as though remembering something. "Anyway, Zuko and Iroh want to have extended lessons with you tomorrow, so you should probably try to get a good night's sleep."

"Yeah, I expected that." Aang sighed resignedly, but it was mostly for show. Strangely enough, a large part of him was truly anxious to get back to work. "I guess we'd better get back, then."

"Actually," said Katara, twining her hand with his. "Do you mind if we sort of…take the scenic route back?" Aang smiled at her, understanding perfectly.

"Of course not. Have you seen the big waterfall yet?"

***

While they waited for Aang to finish his breakfast and show them a good practice location, Iroh decided it was time to broach a subject with Zuko that they'd been avoiding. Now that they were on solid ground, there was room to spread out, and the pair could finally get a little privacy.

"Well, Nephew, would this be a good time to discuss the reason you _really_ wanted me to come along?" began Iroh bluntly. Zuko glanced at him sharply, then smiled lopsidedly. That smile had been such a rare sight in the last three years – eight years, even – but was appearing more frequently now. Iroh was overjoyed to see the change.

"I can't just want to spend some quality time with my favorite uncle?" Zuko returned.

"I'm your _only_ uncle," Iroh retorted. "And we've been together for most of the last three years."

"I really do need your help with Aang," Zuko asserted, his expression growing serious as he gazed off into the distance. "He's very powerful, and I'm not sure I can control him enough to teach him some things. Besides, he'll probably need to learn lightning, and I can't even shoot that yet."

Iroh wondered whether Zuko had even tried lightning since joining the Avatar. It was possible it would work better for him now that he'd found his true path. However, Iroh refused to be sidetracked.

"That may be a valid reason," he conceded. "But I get the feeling it's not the only one."

"Well…here he comes," Zuko interrupted himself, and Iroh followed his gaze to see Aang walking towards them. Their conversation had effectively been ended, but the subject was by no means closed. Aang told the two firebenders that he had the perfect place for their lesson. He led them up two levels to a kind of courtyard with a low wall around it. Once there, he quickly removed his boots and took up a basic firebending stance: feet spread wide apart, knees bent, and hands balled into fists at his sides with the palms facing up.

"Will you be teaching me today, Iroh?" Aang wondered, but Iroh shook his head.

"I am merely observing for now," he replied. "Zuko is still in charge." Aang nodded his understanding, betraying no feeling about the matter one way or another. Iroh took this as a good sign that Aang and Zuko had managed to develop some level of rapport during the short time they'd been working together. At least, Aang wasn't overly anxious to get a new instructor.

Zuko first ran Aang through some breathing and warm-up exercises, followed by control techniques. After that was done, Zuko told Aang to prepare to demonstrate the first set of forms.

"You'll want to stand over here," said Zuko in a low voice, pulling Iroh off to the side with about 15 feet of clearance. When Iroh tossed him a questioning look, Zuko added, "Just trust me."

Aang punched, first with the right hand, then with the left, emitting a jet of flame each time. The fire extended slightly farther and was more intensely bright than Iroh would have expected from a beginner, but otherwise, the execution was not extraordinary. The roundhouse kicks that followed were much the same. The surprise came at the next step. Aang brought his right hand from left to right in a sweeping motion, and a sheet of fire approximately 10 feet wide and as thick as his arm sprang out of it, making a semicircle before it faded. Iroh could feel the heat of it even from the distance he was at, and he felt his eyes widen at the display of power. He cast a sideways glance toward Zuko, but his nephew showed no reaction at all.

Finally, Iroh got it. He understood why they were standing this far away, why they weren't telling Aang how strong he was, and why Zuko might need his help. This kind of untrained ability was nothing to fool around with, and judging by what he knew about the Avatar so far, Iroh guessed he would be too hesitant about using it if he knew what he was capable of.

While Iroh was thinking all this, Aang finished his circuit by crouching and sweeping his right leg around in another half-circle. Then he did the same thing in the other direction, using his left hand and foot. Finally, he did two more circles, this time beginning with the leg and finishing with the arm. That completed the set, and Aang took a deep breath, bringing his hands flat down before him as he exhaled. Then he turned to Iroh and Zuko, bowing properly to them.

"I can see that my nephew is proving to be a capable teacher," Iroh complimented them both at once. "That was very well done." Aang nodded his acknowledgement.

"Remember how we were talking about controlling the size and heat of your fire?" Zuko asked his student, stepping forward. Aang nodded again. "You've got that for the punches and kicks, but we need to work on it for the sweeps. You don't want to use up all of your energy too fast. Save the big power for when you really need it." As the pair proceeded to work on this, Iroh decided to make himself comfortable, sitting cross-legged on the flagstone ground and watching.

They worked well together, Iroh decided. Zuko was far more patient in his instruction than his uncle would have anticipated, and Aang was a quick and eager student. Of course, there was no telling whether this would have been the case for either of them prior to the events of the eclipse, but maybe that was why the timing had needed to be this way.

When Zuko was satisfied with Aang's progress on control, he introduced him to the second set of moves. After they'd gone through those a few times, Zuko called a halt for lunch. He sent Aang on ahead, and the Avatar didn't question that. He just nodded and departed, leaving his boots lying in the courtyard.

"What do you think?" Zuko asked Iroh.

"I believe I understand why you might seek some help," Iroh allowed. "But I still think there is something else on your mind."

"There is," Zuko agreed. He moved to the outer wall of the courtyard, gazing out at either the sky or the sea. "I'm hoping that you can take over his teaching for me soon. I want to look for my mother."

Iroh wasn't sure what to say to this. As part of their getting re-acquainted the past few days, Zuko had explained the circumstances of Princess Ursa's disappearance to him. Iroh had to admit that he found it all very plausible. He knew his brother well enough to realize that his ambition possessed no boundaries. Iroh was not particularly upset to discover that his throne had been effectively stolen from him. He had lost his taste for power long ago, and he would not have been in a fit condition to rule so soon after the death of his son. Besides, the plot had saved Zuko's life, and he couldn't resent that.

"For what purpose?" inquired Iroh cautiously. "She accepted exile. She cannot go home."

"If this all works out, and I become the new Firelord, she could," Zuko pointed out. He turned to face his uncle. "That's not the point, though. I just want to see her again. I want to talk to her. I want to know the truth, the whole truth."

Iroh nodded solemnly. He could appreciate that.

"Do you know where to look?" he said, wondering how far Zuko had thought this out.

"Well, there's no way she could be hiding at the South Pole, and I think she'd stand out even at the North Pole. I think she must be in some out-of-the-way place in the Earth Kingdom."

"Reasonable, but the Earth Kingdom is large. She could even be in Ba Sing Se. It's a big city, and you and I managed to remain hidden there for quite some time."

Zuko mouth twisted into a wry parody of a smile.

"That would be just the kind of joke the universe plays on me all the time," he remarked bitterly. "She might have been right near me for weeks, and I didn't even know it." His face fell, and he closed his eyes. "I miss her so much."

"I know," said Iroh quietly. This was the first time Zuko had expressed the pain of that loss for years, and Iroh had long suspected he'd kept it bottled up rather than really getting over it. This break didn't last long, either. Zuko took a breath and collected himself.

"Even if she was in Ba Sing Se, she probably left after Azula took the city," he mused. "With all the firebenders coming in, there was a chance someone might recognize her. The villages near there would be a good place to start. I'll stay with the group long enough to help free the Kyoshi Warriors. After that, I'll go off on my own."

"I believe this is a quest you need to undertake," Iroh agreed. After discussing the future of Aang's training a little while longer, they returned to the others.

--

Author's Note: Believe me, I'm getting to some action soon. At least there was some firebending practice in here to tide you over. I'm setting up some subplots, but I should warn everyone that Zuko's private quest was not figured into my original outline as far as how long it will take.

Review responses:

musiclover9419: I agree. Here they've essentially got a ready army behind enemy lines, and nobody thinks to make use of it. Granted, the biggest battle turned out to take place somewhere else, but there still would have been a lot of mop-up work to be done at the capitol.

AirGirl Phantom: Yeah, I didn't see the point of introducing so many minor characters and having them join the group only to ignore them. I like my plots tightly constructed, without a lot of extraneous detail.

arizony: Thank you. It really bothered me that the writers had all of the makings of an incredible story, but they failed to finish it, leaving subplots hanging and mysteries and relationships unresolved. I'm hoping there will be no questions left at the end of this, except maybe, "What happens next?"

Tetsu Dienonychus: I think you put it perfectly. The show decided to treat the audience as a bunch of stupid kids who didn't care about a cohesive plotline. I was particularly disappointed with the lack of Iroh in the third season, which is why I have him playing a more pivotal role.

GlowItUp101: That's what I'm here for. I'm hoping that my story will give everyone something else to remember besides the shoddy, unfinished second half of season 3. I'm trying to convince myself that this is the way things really happened.

Nicole: Thank you for your interest in my stories, and thanks for the heads-up on the youtube series. Who's making it?

BlackRose108: I hope you do get the chance to start your own animated TV series. Just have a solid ending in mind before you begin!


	13. Chapter 13: Prey of Face Stealing Spirit

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: This chapter contains quite a few references to the animatic series "Escape from the Spirit World." If you haven't seen it, I tried to include enough information to provide the background. After all, Aang didn't remember it, either. Also, the chapter's name is taken from something that I originally saw on the web as a future title of an episode.

**Prey of the Face-Stealing Spirit**

Katara was surprised the next morning when Iroh approached her.

"May we speak privately for a moment?" he requested politely.

"Of course," she agreed, following him into a small room near the platform they'd selected as their common gathering area. "What's this about?"

"I would like to invite you to Aang's lesson today," Iroh explained. Katara blinked, wondering why all the secrecy. This seemed straightforward enough.

"I'd love to come, but does Aang want me there?" Before now, he'd always made sure he was far away from everyone else when firebending.

"I'm afraid that is irrelevant at this point," replied Iroh bluntly. "He needs you to be there."

"I don't understand."

"He burned you once, yes?"

Katara looked down, biting her lip. So that was it. She should have expected that Aang would tell his firebending teachers about the incident.

"Yes," she admitted. "It was an accident."

"Zuko tells me that this caused Aang to not want to firebend for a long time," Iroh remarked. "He has overcome his block against that, but there is another step he must take. He has to feel comfortable using fire around you. At any time, he might need these abilities in battle, and he can't afford to hold back just because you are there."

For a moment, Katara's mind was filled once again with a vision of Aang, shuddering violently in midair as lightning ran through him. No, he could definitely not afford to hold back.

"I agree," she said quietly. "I'll come."

"There is one more thing," Iroh added as she turned away. "Don't let him know why you are coming to watch. You can say I invited you, but don't mention our concerns." Katara simply nodded.

She decided not to say anything to Aang. Instead, she merely rose when he did and started walking with him and the firebenders. He cast her an astonished look.

"You're coming with us?" he asked.

"Well, yes. Iroh invited me. You don't mind, do you?" She hated the subterfuge, but she could see the reason for it. She watched as he struggled with his answer.

"No, it's just…no," he said finally.

"Oh, good," responded Katara, forcing a smile as she wrapped both of her arms around one of his. "I get to see all of your other bending, but I've been missing out on this. I'm getting curious about it."

"It's not like you haven't seen firebending before," he pointed out as they kept walking.

"Yes, but I was usually too busy fighting or something to pay much attention. Who knows? I might even learn something from it." Katara didn't think she was a particularly convincing liar, but Aang didn't question her any further as they walked. When they reached the courtyard, however, he turned to her.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, giving her one last chance to back out.

"Yes, I'm sure," she confirmed. Deciding to indicate that she had some idea what was bothering him, she added, "I trust you, Aang." She followed that up with a quick kiss on the cheek. As she backed away, she could see a change in him. He stood a little straighter, and his face took on a determined expression. He looked straight at her as if to say, "I won't let you down."

"Just keep your distance," was what he actually said. Katara nodded and went over to where Iroh was already waiting.

The lesson progressed satisfactorily, and Katara really did enjoy watching Aang move. His style was not exactly like the other firebenders she had seen, which was something she had noticed in his waterbending and earthbending as well. It was as though he put his own individual stamp on everything that he learned, even coming up with new ways to use it. She smiled a little when she remembered how he'd used waterbending at the North Pole to make himself into a living snowman. Master Pakku had not been impressed.

After about an hour, Katara saw Aang suddenly stiffen, and she perked up her own senses in an automatic response. After a second, she heard it: an odd, clicking sound, like dozens of chopsticks clattering on clay plates. Even as she registered this, Aang was on the move. He ran over and took Katara by the hand, practically hauling her to her feet while she tried to ask him what the matter was.

"I know that sound," he answered mysteriously, his eyes frantically searching for something as he led her out of the courtyard. "Ah – up here!" He called that last part over his shoulder to Iroh and Zuko. An arched bridge started at one corner of the courtyard, and he urged her up onto it. There were low walls along the stone structure to prevent falls, and Katara sat pressed against one of them, wondering what in the world had spooked Aang like this. The two firebenders got settled on the opposite side.

"This is very important," Aang said in a rushed whisper. "He'll find us soon. Keep your face under control. Show no expression at all. If you do, he'll steal your face."

"He'll _what_?" Katara demanded, barely remembering to keep her voice hushed. Iroh, however, inhaled with a sharp hiss.

"Koh," he murmured. Just then, another voice intruded upon them.

"I can smell you," something said in a kind of teasing sing-song. The voice was deep and quiet, and somehow, the soft tones just made it seem more menacing. Katara concentrated on making her facial muscles relax, but the effort was very nearly wasted when she saw the thing. Only her fear of losing her face allowed her to maintain control.

Instead of coming straight up the bridge, this creature poked its head up and around the edge. It had a strange face, almost human but painted white with gray around the eyes. It looked particularly out of place perched on the front of a body that looked a bit like a giant centipede. Aang stood to face it.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

"We meet again, Avatar," the thing drawled, the white face disappearing to be replaced by the face of an ordinary man. "I told you we would." However, it – he, Aang had called it – ignored Aang for the moment and turned his attention toward Zuko. A wolfish snout emerged from the horrific body and sniffed Zuko from head to toe. The prince didn't flinch, and the snout disappeared, giving way to a visage Katara couldn't see from her angle. Katara recalled Aang telling her about a spirit like this he'd met. Putting that together with Iroh's earlier murmur, she was even able to remember his name: Koh.

"Strange," said Koh to Zuko. "You smell of both the Avatar and the Firelord. How is this possible?"

"I am the great-grandson of Firelord Sozin and Avatar Roku," Zuko responded proudly, almost defiantly.

"Hmm," Koh rumbled. "Interesting." He continued to scrutinize Zuko from just a few inches away.

"Are you going to steal my face?" Zuko broke the awkward, frightening silence.

"Yours is already damaged," Koh replied dismissively, and Katara winced inwardly. Even as much as she used to hate Zuko, she had never made such an insensitive comment about his scar. She knew he was already self-conscious about it. Koh reared back a short distance. "Still, now that I look at you, I see something familiar. Yes…your mother. I have seen her walking the Spirit World."

"She's dead?" Katara could sense Zuko wanting to allow his expression to falter, but he held firm. Koh gave a low, mocking chuckle.

"I did not say that," he almost purred. "This company you keep, and you do not yet understand that one may walk the Spirit World and yet live?"

He had a point. Katara herself had witnessed Aang going to the Spirit World on several occasions. However, that line of thought abruptly cut itself off as the long body twisted and shifted towards her.

"This is the one, is it?" he said, a middle-aged woman's face looking incongruous and hideous on that walking nightmare shape. "The love of the new Avatar?"

_Show no emotion, show no emotion, _Katara repeated to herself over and over, like a mantra. When a monkey's face suddenly appeared in front of her, though, she couldn't help it. She flinched. Fortunately, Aang saved her, choosing that very moment to interpose himself between her and the spirit. Katara took the opportunity to close her eyes and try to collect herself.

"What do you want with her, Koh?" Aang repeated.

"What do you think? I want one face for another."

"What are you talking about?"

There was a long pause after this, during which Katara merely sat there with her heart pounding. She wondered if she should do anything. If so, what? She couldn't seem to think clearly with that…_thing_ right there.

"You really don't know, do you?" said Koh finally. "I can't have that. My justice serves no purpose if you don't know your crime." With that, the spirit essentially crawled up Aang, wrapping about a dozen legs around his body and bending in until their faces were touching.

"You contacted four of your past lives in the Spirit World after your injury," Koh narrated. "Among them was Kuruk. After he told his story, you told him how to find the bride I had taken from him." While the spirit seemed occupied, Katara recovered enough composure to pull her bending water out of its container. A second later, the spirit released Aang, who stumbled backward and almost fell onto Katara before catching his balance.

"I remember," he murmured, putting a hand to his head. "I remember everything." He seemed a little dazed. Deciding this was her best opportunity to take action, Katara quickly stood and lashed out with a water-whip, catching Koh on his flank. The attack appeared to do no damage, but the spirit returned his attention to her. Katara thought that this might not have been the brightest thing she had ever done, but she couldn't bear just sitting there like a damsel in distress.

"Ah, a feisty one, aren't you?" Koh commented through a bearded man's mouth. "How refreshing. Most of my prey are entirely too easy."

"She isn't your prey," Aang retorted, whirling his hands rapidly. The strong wind caught the spirit full in the face, throwing him against the opposite wall of the bridge, twisting and writhing. The legs scrambled comically to find purchase. "So I told Kuruk you still had Ummi. So what?"

"She was rightfully mine. I claimed her according to the laws of the universe." Koh righted himself and switched to a bug's face that better matched his form.

"Didn't he take her back according to those same rules?" When Aang said this, Koh hissed angrily, leading Katara to believe that Aang had scored a point.

"There must be balance," Koh asserted. "As the Avatar, you should know that."

"You took her over 400 years ago," returned Aang stubbornly. "Hasn't he suffered enough?"

"What is 400 years to a spirit who has been around since the beginning?" Koh spat. He lunged toward Aang. Aang earthbended a chunk out of the bridge and struck the monster with it. That threw off Koh's aim, but the mandibles still managed to strike Aang in the cheek, drawing blood. Katara knew that Aang could easily have dodged, but he was probably too focused on protecting her.

"All right." Aang raised his chin while lowering his arms. "Take me instead."

"Aang, no!" the words escaped from Katara's mouth before she thought about it, even as she tried to keep her horror from showing on her face.

"Very noble, Avatar, but even spirits have rules. You are needed in the world. I cannot take you, as I could not take Kuruk." Koh was suddenly struck by fire from both sides. He let out an inhuman shriek and writhed, but whatever pain the attacks might have caused didn't slow him down for long. He moved his body to knock Zuko down, pinning him. At the same time, he switched to the wolf face and snapped at Iroh, forcing him to retreat.

"This is not your world, Koh," Iroh tried words instead of fire. "You are not so powerful here."

"I am powerful enough," the wolf growled at him. "Stay back, old man. One step, one spark, and I'll crush this boy." Iroh subsided, and the wolf's head turned back toward Aang. "She will be mine. One Avatar's beloved for another. That is fair payment." The wolf's head was replaced by a dragon that reared back and breathed fire. Katara's hands went up automatically to protect her face.

"NO!" shouted Aang, and his was not the only voice to come out of his mouth. When Katara dared to look, a man stood in front of her, taller and broader than Aang and wearing full Water Tribe war attire.

"No one else will pay for my failings," the past Avatar declared, and Katara decided he could only be Kuruk. He made the stone bridge shift, easing Koh's body off of Zuko. Koh lunged in response, but Kuruk dodged. The two of them struggled for a time until Kuruk finally slammed Koh against the bridge wall with air while he writhed, trying to twist free. Kuruk managed to pin the spirit so that his underside was exposed. Holding him there by driving wind at him with one hand, Kuruk brought Katara's bending water up with his other. He formed the water into a sharp icicle and drove it into the softer tissue beneath Koh's many faces.

Koh did not bleed or even ooze goo like an insect. Instead, gray smoke poured out of the wound, and the body appeared to collapse in on itself, leaving an empty husk. Kuruk turned around to face Katara.

"Little sister," he greeted her with a nod, obviously recognizing their kinship as members of the Water Tribe.

"Did you…kill him?" Zuko's voice was scarcely more than a whisper as he asked the question. He was sitting up and clutching an arm around his chest.

"It is not so easy to kill a spirit," Kuruk replied. Katara found her voice.

"But I saw Admiral Zhao kill the Moon Spirit," she protested.

"That was different," asserted Kuruk. "The Moon and Ocean Spirits decided to become mortal long ago. Koh is not, and he is very canny."

"You destroyed the body he used to come to our world," Iroh joined in, skirting around the carcass. "His true self remains in the Spirit World."

"Exactly, Master Iroh," Kuruk addressed the old man. "It will take him some time to gather enough strength to return."

"Thank you," said Katara simply, unable to think of anything else to say. Kuruk inclined his head to her again.

"Now I will return to my love, and give yours back," he concluded. With that, the air, dust, and smoke surrounded him, and when it dispersed, Aang was standing there, blinking dazedly.

"What happened?" he asked as Katara went to him and hugged him.

"That's what I'd like to know!" said a new voice. Katara looked over to see her brother, sword drawn, climbing the bridge with Toph.

"And what is that thing?" added Toph, frowning. Katara could well imagine that it would be difficult to figure out what those vibrations were telling her. Even as she looked back at the shell that had housed Koh, it was slowly dissolving into smoke.

Suddenly, Katara felt like her legs would no longer support her, and Aang's additional weight leaning against her was just too much. She gently guided them both down to their knees.

"The spirit Koh attacked us," Iroh answered for them.

"Koh?" Now it was Sokka's turn to frown. "Wasn't that the weird spirit Aang talked to at the North Pole, the one who told him how to find the Ocean and Moon Spirits?"

"That's him," Katara confirmed. Aang was shaking. Or was it her? Maybe both of them. She hadn't been so scared in a very long time. It had been like a nightmare coming to life.

"I think he cracked one or two of my ribs," Zuko complained, rubbing his side gingerly with his hand.

"I should be able to help you with that," Katara said tiredly. She went on to briefly explain what had happened. "Kuruk, one of Aang's past lives, took over his body and saved us."

"How can I keep doing this?" Aang moaned, hiding his face in his hands.

"Doing what?" responded Katara.

"Putting the people I love in danger."

"Aang, it's not your fault," she told him firmly.

"Let us go," Iroh suggested, seeming to sense that Katara wanted some time alone to talk to Aang. "You two can meet us at the camp later." With that, he shooed the others back down the bridge and assisted Zuko to walk.

"Zuko, are you sure you're okay?" Katara called, feeling torn between attending to his injury and dealing with Aang.

"I just need to be careful not to move too much," Zuko assured her. "I can wait."

Sokka was the last to leave, and his eyes met Katara's with concern. She nodded reassuringly, and he turned to go. Now she could focus on Aang, and as she looked at his bloody face, she wished she had a little more water. However, she had the feeling that his spirit needing healing before his body.

--

Author's Note: I originally intended to include Aang and Katara's conversation in this chapter, but it just got too long. It's a sort of cliffhanger, I guess, but a pretty mild one. Incidentally, was there something wrong with the review boards when I posted the last chapter? I only got three reviews, which is much less than usual.

Review responses:

musiclover9419: This was the start of the action, although it ended up being more a psychological than physical conflict.

Tetsu Dienonychus: Wow, good procrastination! Actually, only Aang and Katara had a lot of children, and with an entire nation to re-populate, that seemed logical to me. Most everyone else had about 3, which is incredibly low in a world with no birth control that we know of.

GlowItUp101: I know there's not so much fluff, but part of what I'm trying to do with this story is show how Kataang could have been a couple without being the main focus of the story. So don't plan on seeing whole chapters devoted to them on a date or something.


	14. Chapter 14: A Little Understanding

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I'm sorry I'm running late again, but my play is finally over, so I'm hoping to have more time to devote to writing. If I can wrest the computer away from the rest of my family.

**A Little Understanding**

Gradually, the noises of movement and talk faded away until nothing remained but the sighing of the wind and the sound of Aang and Katara's breathing. They were airy sounds, and Aang found them soothing.

"Do you mind if we get off this bridge?" said Katara finally, and Aang shook his head. He could understand why she wanted to leave this spot; some wisps of smoke were still being torn to shreds by the stiff breeze. He allowed her to lead him back to the courtyard, his usually nimble feet stumbling occasionally because he wasn't paying much attention to where he was going. Instead, his attention was turned inward.

It was not only the aftereffects of fighting and having his body taken over by one of his past lives that caused his disorientation. Aang was also trying to assimilate the information he'd gained from the Spirit World during his weeks of unconsciousness. It was a lot to take in. He walked to the edge of the courtyard, leaning on the wall and inhaling deep breaths of the fresh air. Katara stood beside him.

"I think I know what you're thinking," she informed him. "And you're wrong."

"What?" he turned to face her. "What am I thinking?"

"You're thinking of going off on your own again. You think we'd be safer that way."

Aang started. He actually _had_ been thinking that, but he hadn't truly realized he was thinking it until she said it. How strange that she should know him better than he knew himself. Or perhaps not so strange.

"Everybody's after me!" he exclaimed. "They're even coming from the Spirit World now."

"Avatar Kuruk said that wouldn't happen again for a while, but that's not the point," Katara waved his words away. "By now, everybody knows you care about me. Splitting up won't change that. It will just make me an easier target."

She had switched from "we" to "me," but that wasn't what caught Aang's attention as he stared at her for a moment. Her logic was perfectly clear, and if he hadn't been so consumed with the need to protect her, he would have seen the truth himself. After all, Zuko had found and captured both Katara and Sokka after they'd left Aang once before, and Katara had been captured by Azula in Ba Sing Se. Leaving wouldn't help them at all.

"You're right," he acknowledged at last. "I just…are you sure you want to be with me?" He hadn't really expected to ask that question, but it had popped out.

"What kind of a question is that?" Katara shot back. "I thought we covered all this."

"I know, but…right now, it doesn't look like my life is ever going to be easy," Aang told her earnestly. It was vitally important to him that she understand this. "That means it won't be easy for people who are close to me, either. When you think about it, _I _wasn't even supposed to have all this stuff to deal with until I was 16. I don't have a choice about who I am, but you do. You still have time to turn back." When he was finished, a slow, sad smile spread across Katara's face.

"I think my chance to turn back passed a long time ago," she sighed. "I know you just want to protect me, but at the price of making me miserable? I don't think so."

"Miserable?" Aang wasn't sure whether this revelation made him more flattered or concerned.

"Yes," Katara said firmly. "I've already tried living without you, and I didn't like it."

"When was that?"

"When you were unconscious."

"Oh." Aang couldn't really think of anything else to say. They hadn't talked much about the fact that he'd almost died, and she certainly hadn't revealed how she'd felt about it.

"Aang, I'm going to tell you something I've never told anyone."

"Even Sokka?" Aang had been sure that the siblings shared everything.

"Even Sokka." Now it was her turn to gaze out at the landscape, not looking at Aang. "After my mother died, I sort of shut myself off. I don't think anyone else noticed. At first, I was grieving, so they left me alone. Later, well, there were always chores to do. I threw myself into women's work, and I couldn't be expected to interact much with the other women. After all, I was only a child.

"I overheard Sokka telling Toph one day that he couldn't see Mom's face anymore. Every time he thinks about her, it's my face he remembers. I guess that's it. I was trying to be my mom, if that makes any sense."

"I don't know," Aang admitted. "I never knew my mother." It was strange to recognize that they'd never broached this subject before.

"Not at all?" Katara seemed surprised. "I mean, I know Monk Gyatso raised you, but didn't you ever live with your parents?"

"Maybe for a few months. When the monks found out I was the Avatar, they took me away from my parents. I was still a baby."

"That's awful!" Katara exclaimed.

"For my parents, maybe," conceded Aang. "I'm actually kind of glad. It's bad enough missing Gyatso and the other airbenders. If I'd actually known my mom and dad, all of this might have been even harder."

"Hm. Anyway, I just shut down," she resumed her story. "I still knew that Dad and Gran-Gran loved me, and Sokka, even though he was really annoying at times. Deep down, I loved them back, but…I didn't really let myself feel that. I was afraid of losing someone else, another piece of myself. I guess that's why it was Sokka watching the warriors sail away instead of me.

"Then I met you, and something inside me changed. You reminded me what it was like to be a kid. You showed me how to play again and how to enjoy life, even when things seem hopeless. I really admired the way you could be so positive with everything you'd been through."

"I haven't been as good at that lately," Aang interrupted.

"You still find joy in everyday things," Katara insisted. "What I'm trying to say is that you brought me to life, Aang. I was like a walking dead person all those years, an empty shell. I guess that's why I understood what you were doing when we crossed Serpent's Pass. You were trying to protect yourself from pain, just like I was. I gave you space, hoping you'd come out of it."

"And I did, with the help of a newborn baby," Aang commented thoughtfully. He hadn't managed to maintain his distance for more than a few weeks, but Katara had lived that way for years. He couldn't imagine that. "I realized that pain makes you alive."

"Exactly," Katara nodded. "I don't want to go back to that…emptiness. I tried for a little while, after you almost died."

"You did?" Aang noticed that this was the first time Katara had mentioned his near-death experience without stumbling or hesitating, but he decided not to mention it. Maybe that meant she was finally dealing with it, and he'd let her do that in her own way.

"At first, when I knew I'd brought you back, I couldn't wait to tell you that I loved you, that I never wanted to lose you again. But then, the days turned into weeks, and I wasn't sure if that was the right thing to do after all. Finally, you woke up, but you were…different. You shut me out and ran away."

"I'm sorry," he said fervently. That was not one of his best memories. It was time he learned that things always went wrong when he ran away, and he promised himself he would never do that again.

"I understand," Katara shook her head. "But I started to doubt everything. How you felt, how I felt. I didn't know how much you remembered. So I left things alone and tried to convince myself that it was better that way, that you and I would function better without the distraction of…whatever might have been developing before Ba Sing Se. Then…you kissed me, and I got opened up all over again."

"Is that good or bad?" Aang asked when she didn't continue right away.

"It's good. That's what I'm saying. You – the way I feel about you – that's part of me now. I'm not a whole person without you, and now that I know that, I don't want to go back to being incomplete."

There was another pause while they both drank in the air. Finally, Aang decided to again voice the concern he had tried to express on the Day of Black Sun.

"You know, there's still a chance I won't come through this last battle," he said quietly. He ached at the very thought of causing her pain again, but he couldn't avoid his destiny, even for her.

"I know," she responded. She turned toward him, and he mirrored her movement. "And if this few weeks is all I can have, I want it. I don't even care anymore if that's selfish." With that, she embraced him tightly, and Aang hadn't known how much he'd been longing for that until she did it. They obviously couldn't hug all the time, but he was starting to feel strangely empty when she wasn't in his arms.

"I don't think it's selfish at all," he told her simply. "Honestly, I feel the same way."

***

That evening, Sokka called a strategy session, unrolling his ever-present maps. Zuko sat down gingerly. Katara had checked him over and declared that his ribs weren't broken after all, only bruised. That was bad enough, but she'd managed to accelerate the healing process and wrap his torso to prevent further injury while he completely recovered.

"We should plan to leave tomorrow night," Sokka began.

"Why so soon?" Toph complained. "It's nice here."

"Right, except for the evil spirits dropping in," Sokka returned sarcastically.

"I don't think that had anything to do with the place," Katara pointed out.

"Whatever, we've only got a few weeks before we promised to have Iroh to Ba Sing Se," her brother responded. "In between, we have to find and rescue the Kyoshi Warriors, and I think we'll have to spend a lot of time on foot once we reach the Earth Kingdom."

"On foot?" echoed Aang. "I _hate_ walking." Appa groaned as well.

"Oh what are _you_ complaining about?" Sokka snapped at the bison. "You have six legs." It still mystified Zuko that Aang and the others seemed to know what Appa was saying most of the time. It just sounded like noise to him. Appa rumbled again, and Momo chattered (who also had nothing to complain about, in Zuko's opinion, since he could either fly or ride on someone). However, both animals settled back into silence fairly quickly.

"I know none of us is probably happy about it, but I think Sokka is right," Katara joined in. "Things aren't the same anymore. The Fire Nation has taken over the Earth Kingdom."

"Exactly," Sokka resumed. "We have no idea where there might be soldiers looking for us. The last thing we need is an enemy army following us around while we try to secretly get Suki out of prison or whatever."

The discussion continued, but Toph slipped away after a few minutes. Zuko didn't know what spurred him to follow her, but when he decided everyone else was absorbed with their planning, he got up and left also. He just caught his uncle's eye tracking him as he faded into the shadows.

It was not easy to find Toph. Since she didn't rely on sight to know where she was, the blackest night was the same as broad daylight, and she moved through both with ease. As a result, she was aware of him long before he knew whether he was even in the right vicinity.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded petulantly, but Zuko was not deterred by her manner. He had long ago recognized that this was her mechanism for dealing with things that troubled her. Why wouldn't he? It was not so different from the mask of implacability he had worn for years to hide his pain.

"I wanted to see if you were okay," he said calmly, feeling his way step by step toward the sound of her voice.

"Shouldn't you be helping with the plans?"

"I'm not very good at planning." Zuko smiled tightly. "As my uncle keeps reminding me." It was true, too. Zuko never had been particularly gifted at thinking things through all the way. Sokka was the strategist of the group, and Aang, Katara, and Iroh were certainly competent enough to fill in any details Sokka might miss. Zuko was distinctly unnecessary.

"Suki, Suki, Suki!" she spat, and Zuko finally reached a place where he could see her, outlined in the starlight like a pale ghost. "That's all he ever talks about."

"What's wrong with that? She _is_ his girlfriend."

"Nothing, it's just…never mind."

Silence followed this, during which Zuko hesitantly drew closer. He knew by now that Toph could be sensitive about people getting too close. He could hope that she would take it easy on him due to his recent injury, but he wasn't going to count on it.

"You had a girlfriend," Toph spoke again at last. "You don't talk about her."

"That's different."

"You don't miss her?"

"I…it's complicated," he hedged. "We weren't right for each other."

"I think I know what that's like." Toph sighed. "It doesn't change the way you feel, though." Finally, Zuko put the pieces together.

"You like Sokka!" he blurted out. Not for the first time, he wished he were better at these interpersonal things.

"Oh, what difference does it make? He'll never see me that way anyway."

"I…" Zuko began, but then he had no idea how to proceed. Everything he could think of to say sounded horribly trite. "I'm sorry."

"At first, I didn't think much of him," Toph admitted, almost as though she were talking to herself. "I mean, he couldn't even bend. What was he doing with the Avatar?"

"But something changed?" Zuko prompted. This whole topic made him uncomfortable, but he could sense that she needed to talk things out.

"I can't even tell you what!" she threw her hands up helplessly. "One day, things were just…different. Then _she_ showed up, and that was it. I guess he knew her before."

Zuko shifted awkwardly as they both fell silent again. He suspected that the change was a sign of her starting to grow up, but he didn't know how to tell her that.

"Maybe what you feel will change again, just as suddenly," he suggested optimistically. It worked that way with some girls – Ty Lee, for instance.

"Maybe," Toph replied, without much hope.

"I'm leaving soon," he said, when he couldn't think of anything else to add to the conversation. He wasn't sure why, but it felt right for her to be the first to know, after his uncle.

"You are? Why?" Was it just him, or did she actually sound a little disappointed?

"Going to miss me?" he challenged, taking a risk by teasing her a bit. As her mouth quirked up slightly, he thought he might have succeeded.

"Don't flatter yourself," she stated flatly, but he could hear the slight edge of playfulness in her tone. "I just can't imagine why you'd want to leave this irresistible group." Now Zuko smiled as well, happy to have diverted her thoughts.

"Now that I know she's alive, I need to find my mother," he explained.

"Why?" Toph repeated. "Parents only limit you, try to fit you into some image you don't match." Zuko had to concede that her assessment was certainly true for his father.

"My mom's different," he countered.

"If you say so," Toph shrugged, sounding doubtful.

"She's a part of me, and that part of me is missing," he told her. "I need to figure out the rest of who I am, and I'm hoping she can help me."

"I guess I can understand that."

"Should we go back?" Zuko suggested after a few more heartbeats. "We might make it before they even notice we're gone."

"Sure, why not?" Toph led the way, unhampered as she was by the night. As he followed close behind, Zuko found himself reveling in the new experience of having cheered someone up. It was surprisingly gratifying.

--

Author's Note: I might end up revising this chapter later. I just couldn't quite get settled on it, but I felt that you all deserved a new chapter.

Review responses:

arizony: In return, your reviews are nourishment to the writer's soul.:) There was always this hint that Koh would come back, but then he never did. Another subplot not resolved.

Aryck1095: Since Koh had to slip from the Spirit World into the real world, I couldn't think of any other entrance than to "come out of nowhere". Hei Bai seems to be able to do it easily and smoothly, but there must be a way for other spirits to manage it as well.

musiclover9419: It is hard to balance everything. You got more Toph in this chapter, and there will be more Sokka related to Suki's rescue.

Tetsu Dienonychus: Koh did appear early in the game version of Escape from the Spirit World, but I think he should have returned to the show to throw a wrench in things.

GlowItUp101: Escape from the Spirit World was a game on Nick's web site where Aang had to re-connect with each of his past lives. With each level of the game you passed, you got another chapter, but all four (plus an introduction with Yue) were also included on the bonus disk with the Season 2 boxed set.

Magnumus: Nice to know you're there, anyway. Again the Kataang scene got longer than I expected, but I still did pretty much what I wanted to in the chapter.

luckychaos: At this point, my conception is that Koh will require years to regain enough power to return to the physical world, but that doesn't preclude an appearance in the Spirit World.

Sparrow Logan: Thank you very much! That's a great compliment!

blue-kataang: Working on it.


	15. Chapter 15: Scar and Moon

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: This is another in-between chapter, and I think the next one will be as well. After that comes another key point in the story. Not that I'm not dispensing important information in these chapters as well.

**Scar and Moon**

The next day was a little strange. Aang had a couple of early lessons with Toph and Zuko, but after that, he went to get some sleep in anticipation of the night's travel. Sokka and Katara also retired for the afternoon because the three of them were going to stay awake during the night – Aang to guide Appa, Sokka to keep a lookout for a good place to land, and Katara to be ready to provide camouflage if it was needed.

Since the other three could sleep during the journey (and Toph honestly preferred to spend as many airborne hours unconscious as possible), they could remain awake and do as they wished. Of course, this left them somewhat at loose ends. After all, their main purpose for being part of the group was to train the Avatar, and when he wasn't available, there wasn't much to do. For a while, they gathered food and packed for the journey. When they were finished with that, they sat by a pool trying to get to know each other better. Well, obviously, Zuko and Iroh knew each other pretty well, but they were still new to Toph.

"You know, I don't really care whether it's day or night," Toph remarked as she dangled her feet in the water. That much felt good, but it was as far as she liked to go into that particular element. She braced her hands on the ground behind her so that she could still see. "But it does get hard to sleep at different times every day."

"Oh, I don't know," Iroh answered her. "I can sleep just about any time."

"A man needs his rest," Zuko commented, and Iroh chuckled.

"Am I missing something?" demanded Toph.

"Just a little family joke," Iroh replied. "I like my food and my sleep. The creature comforts, one might say."

"No objections here," Toph shrugged.

"When I lived on a ship, I got used to sleeping short shifts," Zuko added. "I was in charge, so I didn't like to leave the deck for too long."

That seemed to have exhausted the possibilities of this topic, so Toph broached another one.

"I've heard the others talk about you having a scar," she addressed Zuko. "Where is it? What's it like?"

There was a silence after this, and Toph wondered if she'd said something wrong. She had a habit of doing that; since she'd decided a long time ago not to let things get under her skin, she often forgot that other people weren't the same. When Zuko finally answered, he did so slowly and deliberately.

"You're probably the first person I've met in three years who hasn't noticed that first," he said. "Because you can't see me the way other people can."

"So it's on your face," Toph guessed, knowing that face and hands were the only things almost always not covered by clothing.

"Yeah," Zuko confirmed. "It covers most of the left side of my face, including my ear."

"Wow. Can you still hear okay?"

"Yes. It's just on the outside."

"That's good. I guess I could still get around without my hearing, but I'm sure glad I have it." She paused. "Are you gonna tell me how you got it?"

"I don't really like talking about it."

"Didn't you tell Aang how you got burned?" Iroh interrupted, at least informing Toph of the cause of the scar. Still, it was kind of weird for a firebender to get burned. Toph couldn't imagine accidentally crushing herself with a rock.

"Yeah. I guess he didn't tell anyone else."

"Did you tell him not to?"

"No," Zuko shrugged.

"Then he must have thought it personal enough not to share," mused Iroh.

"Apparently," said Zuko. By this time, Toph was losing patience.

"Iroh, is he always this talkative?" she demanded sarcastically.

"Not at all," Iroh answered, sounding almost completely serious. "He's actually been quite chatty the last few days."

"That's good to know," Toph remarked, and she thought she sensed Zuko making a face at his uncle.

"Thanks," he said dryly.

"Well, you were always rather quiet, even as a child" Iroh returned calmly. "If you won't tell her, do you mind if I do?"

"If you want," Zuko gave permission, but he got up and walked away.

Iroh then told Toph a story in that mesmerizing voice of his while she sat enthralled. It was about a boy who refused to face his father in single combat and suffered the consequences of having a heart in a heartless society. Toph remained silent for a little while after Iroh had finished.

"Well, that explains a lot," she said finally.

"Indeed," Iroh murmured his agreement. "It is difficult to stand against your parents."

"Yeah. Even I had trouble telling my parents I didn't like the life they'd picked for me, and they were nice to me." Toph hesitated as she thought this over. "Too nice, really. Smothering me with nice."

"How did they respond when you did tell them?"

"Not well." Toph scrunched up her face as she remembered. "They decided I wasn't confined enough and wanted to lock me up and have me guarded all the time."

"Then how did you manage to join Aang?"

"I ran away," Toph shrugged, then chuckled. "They still hadn't quite figured out that I'm the greatest earthbender in the world. They didn't like that very much. They even sent a couple of idiot earthbenders after me."

"That was distinctly unwise," Iroh remarked.

"You got that right." She paused, wondering if Master Yu and Xin Fu had ever found a way out of that metal box she'd trapped them in. However, she soon cast aside the question as unimportant and got to her feet. "I'm going to find Zuko."

"Will you ever go back to your parents?" Iroh called after her, and she stopped, thinking carefully.

"Only on my terms," she decided. "Now that they know what I can do, they might be a lot better at keeping me a prisoner." She felt Iroh nod as she turned away again.

Zuko wasn't too far away, but once she got there, Toph wasn't sure what to say. What _could_ you say to someone whose father had intentionally burned him as a visible mark of dishonor?

"So, now you know," Zuko broke the silence.

"Yeah." Toph hesitated. "Is it okay if I tell the others? I mean, if it comes up?"

"I don't mind. It's easier than telling them myself."

"Okay. Zuko, I'm sorry. Really."

"Yeah."

Toph shuffled her feet, not wanting to leave it at that. She could feel the tension coming from him. He didn't want her pity. She could sense that, and she understood it. She didn't want that from people, either, and she often got it because of her blindness.

"Can I touch the scar?" she said suddenly, the words out of her mouth before she really thought about it. She felt him start with surprise.

"Why?" he responded warily.

"I'm just curious. I've never felt a burn scar before." Actually, she'd never touched anyone much. She fought using earthbending techniques at a distance, and she'd never been one to use her hands to figure out what someone looked like. She could tell their weight, body shape, and they way they moved. That was enough to identify people. The face was unnecessary, yet for some reason, she discovered that she wanted to know Zuko's face.

"Okay, why not?" he gave in, sitting down to give her easier access. Toph knelt in front of him, reaching out her right hand to where she estimated his hairline would be. She felt the softness of hair and moved down to his left ear. The skin felt hard and stiff.

"Does it hurt?" she asked quietly, as she shifted to touch his cheek.

"No. Not for a long time now."

Toph felt the change when she reached the bottom of the scar and touched the softer, healthy skin below. She traced the edge across his sharp nose and up over his eye, occasionally feeling a muscle twitch under her fingers. She couldn't find an eyebrow on that side and used her left hand to find one and determine where it should have been. As her fingers gently probed lower, she could feel that his eyes were closed.

"I don't have a scar there," Zuko interrupted, speaking softly like he might disrupt her concentration.

"Sorry," she apologized, dropping her left hand. "I was just comparing both sides."

"That's okay," he said. "It's actually relaxing, in a weird sort of way." Toph had sensed that he was loosening up while she'd been touching him. Deciding that she was done, she placed both her hands in her lap.

"Thank you for letting me do that," she murmured awkwardly. Where was all this politeness coming from? Maybe it was just that she knew he was from a higher level of society, as she was, and that caused her to automatically dredge up the trained responses.

"So what do you think?" he asked her. It took her a moment to realize that he was asking what she had read in his face. This wasn't something she was really good at, but at the same time, she knew what she had "seen."

"I think you've been through a lot, but you're strong, stronger than most people believe. I think you'll make a great Firelord one day."

At that, Zuko snorted disbelievingly.

"I'm not even in the line of succession anymore," he protested.

"You will be," she returned confidently. "We're going to win this war, and if you know anything about history, you know that the winners make the rules."

Zuko agreed, although Toph could sense his concern that they would not, after all, end up on the winning side. However, they both seemed to feel that there was no point in dwelling on that, and when Iroh appeared to offer them a cup of tea before he packed those things away, they accepted.

***

Sokka was decidedly jumpy that evening. He'd slept poorly during the day but didn't feel tired now, either. He was probably overtired and would have to pay for that later, but for the moment, he had other things to think about.

Zuko appeared to have adapted to flying; he had fallen asleep shortly after taking off. Toph had gradually loosened her death grip on the edge of Appa's saddle and now slumped against the prince. The pair presented an interesting picture. Iroh dozed on and off, periodically waking to ask a question or make a comment.

Sokka looked at the expanse of ocean for a while, watching the faint light of the moon and stars reflecting off the peaks of the waves. When he returned his attention to his companions, his eyes rested on Katara. She was sitting across from him, hugging her knees and gazing at the sky.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her, worried by her body language.

"The moon will be full soon," she responded morosely. Surprised, Sokka looked up to the glowing shape to find that she was right. The moon was almost a ball, slightly flat on one side. He hardly ever looked at the moon anymore; too many unpleasant memories.

"What's wrong with that?" said Sokka, turning back toward her. His mind had already shifted into another direction. "If we time this right, you'll be at your most powerful when we rescue Suki!" This seemed like an unequivocally good thing to him, and he couldn't understand her bad mood.

"Don't you understand?" Katara looked as though she couldn't believe Sokka could still surprise her with his lack of sensitivity. "I'll be able to bloodbend. What if I'm tempted?"

"You won't be," Sokka assured her, switching mental gears immediately.

"How do you know that? I did it once before."

"And you saved my life by doing it. Aang's too."

"That doesn't make it right."

"Maybe, but if you're asking me whether I'd rather die or watch you bloodbend, I vote for the bloodbending."

"It sounds so simple when you put it like that." Katara hugged herself more tightly. "But it's not. I just…hated the way I felt about myself after I did it."

"Look, this is just the first full moon since you found out about this," he told her consolingly. "You'll get through it, and it will get easier."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Katara, you're not that crazy old lady. You're stronger than that."

"I don't know." Clearly, she wanted to believe him, but she was finding it hard.

"I'm not saying you'll never bloodbend again," he clarified. "If you really need it again, you'll use it. What I'm saying is that you won't do it just to control people or for entertainment. I know you, and I know you'll make the right decision."

There was a pause, and Katara finally managed a weak smile and drew a long breath.

"Thank you, Sokka," she said. "Sometimes it's not so bad to have you as a brother."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment and move on," he sighed, rolling his eyes. Looking out ahead of them again, he saw the silhouette of a mountain range, indicating that they were approaching land. "I'm going to go up and talk to Aang." He hesitated halfway to standing up. "Should I send him back here?" He knew that Aang could often cheer Katara up when no one else could.

"No, I'm okay."

Sokka nodded and made his way to Appa's head. It was funny how natural this seemed to him now. A year ago, nobody could have made him believe that he'd one day feel just as at home on the back of a flying bison as he was on the deck of a ship. Shaking his head, he cleared all such extraneous thoughts out of his mind. He had a job to do.

--

Author's Note: I got some more Toph and Sokka in there, which I hope will make some of you happy. You might also notice my subtle comment about Katara not using bloodbending frivolously.

Review responses:

musiclover9419: A little more Toko bonding here. I'm trying to balance it reasonably with the rest of the story.

Tetsu Dienonychus: Yes, that pretty much is my goal. There were such great characters and relationships to be developed, and the show really stopped short in a lot of ways. I'm obviously adding to what Katara might have experienced after her mother's death, but it seems to fit what we've seen.

GlowItUp101: I'm trying to limit the overt fluff to make it more meaningful when it does appear. Thank you for the heads-up about my other fic, but it sounds like that was last year.

Vanille Strawberry: Thank you. I'm trying to strike a balance between suspense and emotional release.

Magnumus: While I think Zuko is new to the idea of friendship, he's certainly witnessed it. You might find Toph too forward in this chapter, too, but when is Toph _not_ forward? I'll only be interested in seeing the films if they fix the Kataang relationship. Of course, they almost have to because of time constraints.

blue-kataang: :)

SoloMoon: Thank you very much! I'm not sure what you mean about clichés without specific examples. After all, some things are clichés because they are true, and I'm more concerned with making relationships real than showing off how clever I can be. I find Toph more abrasive than light.


	16. Chapter 16: Journeys

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Journeys

"Hey, Sokka," greeted Aang as his friend sat beside him on Appa's head. "Do you really think we'll find Suki in this colony?"

"I sure hope so. We don't have time to search the whole Earth Kingdom." Sokka sighed. "I should never have let her leave after I found her again."

"You can't blame yourself, Sokka."

"I didn't even really try, though. Maybe I could have convinced her to stay with me."

"Like you convinced Katara not to get herself put on that Fire Nation prison ship? Or to give that waterbending scroll back to the pirates?" asked Aang archly. "From what I've seen, once a woman makes up her mind, you might as well give in." That comment broke through Sokka's melancholy, and he managed a wry grin.

"I see your point," he conceded. "It's just hard not to think that I could have changed things somehow."

"I know exactly what you mean," Aang told him fervently. "Even if Suki had stayed, her warriors might have been taken prisoner, and then we'd be making this same trip. There's just no way of knowing."

"Yeah." Sokka paused. "Do you ever – oh, never mind. It's silly."

"What?" Aang could never stand it when someone ended a sentence that way. It left him burning with curiosity.

"It's just…sometimes I feel like I'm cursed or something. Every girl I care about ends up dead or captured."

Aang felt a surge of sympathy, but he wasn't quite sure what to say. Technically, Yue hadn't died, she'd become the moon spirit, but he had a feeling Sokka wouldn't find that very comforting at the moment.

"We'll find Suki, and she'll be fine," he said at last, trying to project more confidence than he felt. "Lots of people have lived for years, even decades in Fire Nation prisons. It's only been a couple of months for her."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're right," Sokka replied, but Aang could still hear the doubt in his voice. Sokka gazed out at the approaching shoreline, marked intermittently by Fire Nation watchtowers. He pointed to a section of mountains. "Let's go between those beacons and try to find a place in there to land. There's bound to be a cave we can hide in while we get our bearings."

"And get some sleep," added Aang, nodding as he fixed the location in his mind. Then he decided to broach a new topic. "Sokka, are you really okay with me and Katara?"

Sokka turned back to look at Aang but did not otherwise respond for several seconds. Just when Aang was beginning to wonder if he hadn't heard or understood him, he spoke.

"Weren't we just talking about how I tend to lose the girls I get close to?" he answered wryly. "Do you really think I'd wish that on you, let alone my own sister?"

Aang blinked in astonishment. He'd never thought about it that way.

"No," he said slowly. "No, you wouldn't."

"Sure, I might have preferred for you two to wait a little longer, but deep down, I think I always knew how this would go," Sokka continued.

"Really?"

"Well, yeah. I saw the way you looked at her that first day. And she was willing to leave me – her whole tribe – to travel the world with you."

"But she didn't," Aang reminded him.

"Because you told her not to."

"Yes. I didn't want to get between her and her family." Aang looked meaningfully at Sokka. "I still don't."

"I know, and that's why I can't think of anyone I'd rather have her with." Sokka turned to look outward again. "I watched, you know. You let her get to know other boys, like Haru and Jet. You could have easily made yourself her only choice, but you didn't. I know how hard that must have been for you."

"Yeah," Aang murmured, remembering those situations. He had tried not to think about it too much at the time, but there had certainly been moments, while waiting for Katara to make a decision, when he'd worried about what he would do if she picked someone else. "I wanted her to be sure."

"You let her come to you," Sokka agreed. "That means a lot."

"Thank you, Sokka."

"Don't think this means I'm not going to be watching you two like a hawk, though," Sokka added. "She's still my little sister."

"I understand," Aang replied, but he was smiling. He would still have to address the issue with their father one day, but at least he knew he had his best friend's support.

***

They found a cave to shelter them, and the next two days were spent tunneling through mountains and hills in a generally northeasterly direction, the paths lit by Zuko and Iroh. It had been decided that this was the easiest way to avoid detection. As Zuko had been aware, the Fire Nation had acted quickly to consolidate its power over the Earth Kingdom after the fall of Ba Sing Se – every town and village they passed seemed to have at least a few soldiers.

In addition, it was much easier and faster to travel on foot through a tunnel hollowed out by an earthbender than over mountainous countryside. Periodically, two or three members of their group would scout around outside to determine where they were and establish their next heading. Sokka and Katara were doing that when Zuko decided to approach Aang, who was feeding his bison a snack.

"Aang? Can I talk to you?" asked Zuko hesitantly.

"Sure, Zuko. What's up?"

"I have something to ask you." Zuko had decided that the Avatar would be the best person to answer his burning question. "You remember what that spirit said, about seeing my mother?"

"Koh. Yeah, I remember."

"Well, I was hoping…do you know what he meant?"

"You mean, about your mother walking the Spirit World but still being alive?"

"Yeah, that." Zuko shuffled his feet for a moment before sitting beside Aang. "I mean, you've been through the Spirit World. Do you have any idea how she might have gone there?"

Aang frowned in thought. Almost absent-mindedly, he raised his hands in front of him, bringing up two fist-sized stones and setting them spinning around each other.

"Most of the time, I enter the Spirit World by going into deep meditation," he responded. "The first time was by accident, though. I think the forest spirit brought me along when he crossed over. For some reason, the barrier between worlds seems thinner for him."

"Somehow, I don't think that's how Mom did it," Zuko sighed. Suddenly, however, he remembered rumors about Uncle Iroh having made a journey into the Spirit World once. He made a mental note to ask about that later.

"Probably not," Aang agreed. "Well, there is another possibility. After I almost died, I was unconscious for several weeks, and I walked the Spirit World without realizing it. I didn't remember until Koh gave me my memories back."

"So what are you saying?"

"Your mother might be unconscious somewhere, or in a coma. That would separate her spirit from her body enough to let her make the journey."

"You mean…" Zuko swallowed hard. Would things never get easier for him? "She might be dying?"

"I don't know." Aang's brow furrowed as the stones he was manipulating spun faster. "Koh wasn't very specific. It could have been just a one-time thing, temporary."

"I guess that's true."

"It doesn't get us any closer to figuring out where she is, either. I mean, physically." Suddenly, the rocks clattered to the ground as Aang's face brightened. "I can talk to someone who might know, though!"

"You can? Who?" Zuko hardly dared to hope, but if anyone could do it, surely Aang could.

"Avatar Roku!"

"Avatar…Roku?" Zuko echoed blankly.

"Yes. He's…sort of my spiritual guide. It's hard to explain, but I should be able to talk to him."

"But how would he know? He can't possibly be keeping track of everyone in the world."

"No, but he was your mother's grandfather, right?" Aang paused while Zuko nodded. Then, the Avatar resumed. "That means they have a connection. That should make it a lot easier for him to find her. What's her name?"

"Ursa." Zuko wasn't quite following this logic, but he decided to trust that Aang knew what he was talking about. "I'd appreciate that."

"All right. Just go back over there with the others. I don't know how long this will take, but I'll come and tell you as soon as I'm done."

"Okay," Zuko agreed. "Thank you." He withdrew as Aang crossed his legs and closed his eyes. However, Zuko didn't immediately turn his attention away, noticing how quickly the young airbender's breathing became slow and regular. Zuko had never been able to achieve a meditative state so easily, and he envied the peace, discipline, whatever that allowed Aang to do it. He went around a curve of the tunnel wall to sit beside his uncle.

"Uncle?" he addressed the old man softly. Toph was dozing nearby, and Zuko hadn't yet figured out how much she could hear or sense when she did that. It wasn't like he was planning to talk about something really private, but he didn't want to intrude too much on her rest.

"Yes, Nephew?"

"You made a trip to the Spirit World once, right?"

"I did, yes," Iroh nodded affirmatively.

"Well…" Zuko hesitated, not sure how to bring up the question he wanted to ask. As he heard Aang murmuring, he decided to just come out with it. "How did you do it?"

Iroh did not speak for some time. He sat staring straight ahead, but his eyes gave the impression that he was looking at something else, something that was not really there.

"This is about your mother, isn't it?" he said at last.

"Yes. I'm trying to understand how she might have gone to the Spirit World, get an idea of how to find her. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"No, it's all right," Iroh sighed. "It's time you knew, I suppose. It was shortly after Lu Ten died."

"I'm sorry," Zuko whispered. Iroh continued as if he had not heard.

"I didn't really intend to cross over, but…perhaps a part of me did want to go, to be with my son. After his death, I fasted for several days. Faint with hunger and sick with grief, I lost consciousness. I woke up – or thought I did – to find myself in a marshy forest. I didn't know what had happened at first. Then, I saw _him_."

"Him? Who?"

"Avatar Roku. There was no mistaking him. We walked and talked for a while, and he showed me some of the spirits."

"Did you meet Koh?" Zuko had been curious about this ever since Iroh had identified him by name a few days earlier.

"No, but he was described to me as one of the oldest and most dangerous spirits there. Hearing about his power, I had no wish to meet him."

"I wish I hadn't, either."

"Indeed," Iroh concurred. "Anyway, after some time had passed – impossible to tell exactly how much – I woke back up in my body. That's all there is to it."

"Mmm," Zuko grunted. This didn't seem to get him any further on his quest, and both men lapsed into silence. A little while later, Toph sat up straight, pressing her hands to the ground.

"Sokka and Katara are back," she announced. Just as the pair came around the corner, Aang approached from the opposite direction.

"I have some news," he said.

"So do we," returned Sokka. "The town in the next valley should be the colony we're looking for."

"What's your news?" Katara asked Aang.

"Well, it's really for Zuko." He turned to Zuko. "I think I know where your mother is." The prince felt his heart jump inside his chest, but he stifled any external reaction. Toph shifted her position.

"Where is she?" Zuko managed to keep his voice fairly even.

"I'll need to borrow one of Sokka's maps." Aang got out a map of the Earth Kingdom and knelt over it. He traced his fingers across mountain ranges and bodies of water. Finally, he pointed, and Zuko leaned over, raising a small fire in his hand so that he could see better. "Here. It's a small fishing village south of Chameleon Bay." Zuko looked worriedly at the distance he needed to cover to get there. It would take him a long time, but he decided that he would make it. He had to.

"Did you find out what happened to her?" he inquired.

"Yes," Aang answered, nodding. "About two weeks after Ba Sing Se fell, soldiers came to claim the village. A group of the villagers decided to make a stand. A few of them were earthbenders, and your mother got hit in the head by a stray rock. She was knocked out for about three days. She's mostly awake now, but she's still recovering and sometimes has fainting spells."

"If you don't mind my asking, what's this about?" Katara wondered.

"Now that I know my mom's alive, I want to find her," Zuko explained, not looking up as he concentrated on memorizing the location of the village he needed to find. "I'll help you get your friends out of prison, but then, I plan to go my own way for a while. Uncle Iroh will take over Aang's training."

Nobody responded for a while. Zuko had almost forgotten that he hadn't told everyone in the group about his plan.

"If you don't mind my asking, why not leave now?" asked Sokka bluntly. "Not that we couldn't use your help in this, but I think we could manage without you."

"These warriors are from the village I almost burned down," Zuko reminded them, having discovered this connection during their travels. "I owe them this."

With that, the conversation turned to the upcoming mission. Sokka sketched rough figures in the sand that formed a thin layer over the tunnel floor as he and Katara described what they had seen.

"We should get there early tomorrow," Sokka concluded. "Katara and I will go and survey the place, try to find out if the Kyoshi Warriors are really there."

"I still think you should stay here," Katara objected. "Toph can come with me instead."

"I need to be there so I know the situation," argued Sokka with the air of a man who was repeating himself.

"For what it's worth, I think Katara is right," Aang offered hesitantly.

"You would," Sokka muttered, but Aang ignored the interruption.

"You might be a little too close to this, Sokka," he finished his thought.

"They've got a point," Toph put in. "Remember how you were when Azula told you Suki was her prisoner?" Sokka's jaw muscles tightened a few times as he clenched and unclenched his teeth.

"Maybe I learned something from that," he suggested finally.

"It's too big a risk," Katara shook her head decisively. "You won't do Suki or anyone any good if you get captured and give away the rest of us."

"Toph's a good choice," Zuko added his voice. Iroh was remaining studiously silent. "She'll be able to 'see' the details of buildings without going inside or even getting that close. She can find out exactly where and how your friends are being held."

"Then she and Katara will report it all to you," Aang added. Sokka stared them each down for a short while (even Toph, useless as that was), but eventually, his shoulders slumped in an attitude of defeat.

"You're right," he gave in. "Katara and Toph will check out the area. Let's take a quick rest before we get going."

--

Author's Note: It always bothered me how Sokka seemed so sharp about Aang and Katara's relationship sometimes and so blind to it at other times. I can't completely fix that inconsistency, but I at least tried to wrap a lot of his perspective up here.

Review responses:

The Overseer: Thanks for being there. I'm glad you're enjoying my story.

musiclover9419: Well, I aim to please. It's hard to keep everybody happy – after all, I can only cram so much into a chapter of reasonable length – but I do make an effort.

Tetsu Dienonychus: Thanks; that means a lot to me. I was afraid that Toph would come off as a little too "soft." Katara did use bloodbending again in The Southern Raiders, simply to vent her rage, and it bothered me that she showed no hesitation or remorse about it at all.

GlowItUp101: We will see how far the Toko goes. I don't know about liking Katara indulging in self-pity, but it did seem strange to me that she was all broken up about using bloodbending in The Puppetmaster but used it (unnecessarily) without blinking an eye in The Southern Raiders.

arizony: Thank you very much. I do try to visualize my scenes, and then describe what I see in my mind. Maybe I would make a good director…

Amber Pegasus: Thanks for reading and reviewing. I try to keep my updates pretty consistent.


	17. Chapter 17: The Rescue

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I would like to disclose that I shamelessly stole a part of the rescue plan from a scene in Guardians of the West by David Eddings. I just used it a little differently and had it work faster. I also apologize for any errors or inconsistencies. I'm very tired, but I thought it was time I got this posted.

**The Rescue**

Sokka paced impatiently as he waited for Toph and Katara to return from their scouting mission. He hadn't even been able to eat any lunch, which was a testament to the degree of his agitation. Everyone still hidden in the tunnel was leaving him alone after he'd snapped at them a couple of times. Everyone, that is, except Momo, who for some reason was scampering after Sokka's feet as he walked back and forth.

Finally, the two girls reappeared in the small cave opening Toph had created for them. To Sokka's surprise, they were both smiling in a conspiratorial manner. He hated when people did that, especially girls. Especially _these _two girls.

"Well?" he demanded as they unloaded the food supplies they'd bought while in the town. "Are they there? How is she? What kind of building? How many guards? Tell me everything!"

"We will, Snoozles, but we can only answer one question at a time," Toph shot back as she flopped down on the ground. The smirk hadn't left her face. "Your girlfriend's there."

"She and the other Kyoshi Warriors seem fine," Katara jumped in when it didn't look like Toph was going to add any more detail. "I was able to catch a glimpse of a couple of them through a window."

"They've lost a little weight, but they're moving around all right," Toph added.

"That's good," Sokka said, relieved. He'd come up with several options for carrying sick or weakened warriors, but things would be much easier if they could all walk or run on their own. Even better if they could actually fight, but he wasn't expecting miracles. He listened carefully as Toph and Katara told him every detail about the town and the prison. Unfortunately, the prison was right in the middle of the colony, so they'd have to pass all kinds of buildings and guard stations going in and, more importantly, getting out.

"If I may make a suggestion," said Iroh. When Sokka nodded to him, he continued. "I think we should plan to enter from this direction and go out the opposite side." Sokka chewed his lip as he thought this idea over.

"It means more people might see us," he warned, absently stroking Momo's ears.

"Yes, but if we manage to get away before anyone notices, the guards on this side will tell anyone who asks that they saw a group of strangers enter near them," Zuko contributed. "They'll assume that we left the same way, which could gain us some time."

"It would also help us move towards Ba Sing Se," Katara agreed. Sokka considered some more. It had risks, especially if they were followed too closely and the Fire Nation guessed where they were headed. Still, if Toph punched a new opening and sealed the rock behind them, it should be safe enough, and he did like the idea of being beyond the town when this was over.

"Okay, we'll do it that way," he concluded. "We'll have to tunnel ahead today and mark out our escape point."

"As long as Twinkle-toes can keep Appa and Momo over there," Toph added. Most of the group looked at her blankly, but then Sokka understood.

"Right," he agreed. "We can't have them flying around after us. They'll have to wait over there."

"They'll listen to me," Aang said confidently. "But I have another question. What are we going to do with the Kyoshi Warriors after we rescue them?"

"What do you mean?" Sokka frowned. They would join them, of course.

"Well, right now, we're walking, so there's no problem," Aang tried to explain himself. "But eventually, we'll want to fly again. There are – what, six warriors besides Suki? Appa can't possibly carry that many people, at least not for very long."

Sokka felt like banging his head against the wall. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten to account for anything so obvious. However, it didn't take him long to come up with an answer.

"They should be able to stay with us until Ba Sing Se," he decided. "That will give us time to decide what they'll do next. They should have a voice in that, anyway." The thought caused a fresh tightness in Sokka's chest. He'd been so focused on getting Suki back, and he'd just assumed that she'd stay with him this time. But would she really be willing to do that if her warriors chose to go elsewhere?

He forced these doubts to the back of his mind as they got down to the serious business of planning the prison break. Since Iroh and Zuko were familiar with how the Fire Nation constructed their colonies – military people did tend to exhibit a certain lack of imagination in such things – they helped to determine the best routes into and out of town and worked out their basic strategy.

"Now we just have to figure out how we're going to get them out of the prison," Sokka remarked. Since it was designed to hold earthbenders or non-benders, the building was made of wood, with metal doors. Toph could take care of the doors, but not without attracting attention and not quickly enough to get everybody out before the guards attacked. They could set fire to the building, but there was the danger of hurting the people they were trying to save, and again, it would bring townspeople and guards running to the scene.

"Actually, Katara and I have already worked that out," announced Toph.

"You have?" Sokka looked to his sister for an explanation. Her conspiratorial smile had returned, the one she got when she had what she thought was an absolutely brilliant and devious idea to accomplish something. All too often, it also caused her big brother a great deal of trouble.

"There's a river in this valley, so there's a lot of water under the ground, not very far down," Katara explained. "I can bring some of it up to soften the ground, and Toph can help me. That should put some stress on the floor and make the wall start to sink. Then she'll bring up the earth behind the wall to pull it away from the floor, I'll use ice to split the wall from the roof and the other walls, and Aang can pull the whole wall away with airbending."

"Isn't that dangerous to the prisoners?" Sokka objected.

"It shouldn't be," said Toph. "We'll be pulling the wall out, away from them, so that shouldn't hurt them. And there will still be plenty of walls holding the roof up."

"Okay, but doesn't that mean we'll be releasing all of the prisoners, not just the ones we want?" Zuko looked like he was still working it all out, but Sokka thought he could see where this was going.

"All of the ones on that side of the building, yes," Toph agreed.

"Which will cause more confusion and more people to chase," Aang mused thoughtfully, and Sokka nodded. That was the same conclusion he had reached.

"You aren't worried they might be dangerous?" Iroh wondered. Katara snorted her opinion of that.

"Hardly," she scoffed. "They're prisoners of the Fire Nation, which means they can't be all bad." Sokka actually felt himself smiling a little at that assessment.

"I'll take the prisoners over the soldiers any day," he agreed. Anyway, they knew that firebenders wouldn't be kept in a wood building, so they didn't have to worry about that. "Then it's decided." They hammered out a few more details as Aang and Toph blazed their new trail. After that, they would rest until sundown. At least, Sokka would _try_ to rest.

***

Katara felt strangely excited as she walked beside Aang toward the colony. She knew she probably shouldn't feel this way, but the prospect of danger always seemed to send this quickening pulse through her, especially when she thought she might get back at someone who deserved it. They were all in their "borrowed" Fire Nation clothing, of course, except for Iroh and Zuko, who actually blended in better while wearing common peasant attire. Despite what it represented, Katara also liked being back in this costume, and she particularly enjoyed the furtive glances Aang occasionally cast her when she wore it.

There were guards on duty at the edge of the settlement, but not very many, and they were easy to avoid. The ones Katara had seen in daylight even seemed a little bored and would probably relish the prospect of some action. Tonight, they just might get more than they bargained for.

Following Iroh's suggestions, they wove through narrow streets where various undesirable trades were practiced – tanning hides and dying fabric, for example. Aang wrinkled his nose at the smell, but it didn't bother Katara, who'd spent a lot of her childhood making things out of whale fat and tiger-seal skin. Once inside the first set of buildings, the two of them began methodically extinguishing all of the street lanterns and other light sources. There were quite a lot of them, as Katara had noticed earlier. While she wouldn't exactly say that Fire Nation people were afraid of the dark, they clearly felt more comfortable having a lot of fire around them to keep it at bay.

Katara, on the other hand, thrived at night. She felt the power of the full moon coursing through her, feeling like it was ready to shoot out of her fingertips at any moment. She glanced sideways at Aang, wondering if he felt the same way. He seemed to be less affected by the cycles of natural sources of bending than those who were limited to one element, but she'd never thought to ask him whether he felt the effects at all.

At last, they arrived at the prison and took up their positions. Katara stood on the left side of the wall, Toph on the right, and Aang planted himself firmly in the middle. Meanwhile, Iroh continued past the building, Zuko hung back, and Sokka stood behind those who were going to take the wall down, facing away from them. There were roads coming in from all sides, so the job of these three was to watch for people coming and slow down anyone who might respond to an alarm.

Katara shut everything else out as she sent her consciousness down into the earth. Carefully, she encouraged the water under the building to rise, and as she worked, she could also "feel" the water's path softening, easing. She opened her eyes to check their progress and noticed that the corner seemed to be sinking slightly. The wall was beginning to bow outward, so she stopped what she was doing and wedged some of her water into cracks near the roof, turning it into ice to expand them and further weaken the structure. She shifted the water and ice down to split the wall away from the rest of the building.

Suddenly, a resounding _CRACK _echoed through the quiet streets as the stress became too much for the structure, and Katara froze in place. She had never considered that forcing a building to weaken so fast would make that much noise. Sokka was the first to recover.

"We're gonna have to speed this up," he hissed urgently, raising his sword into a guard position in front of him. Lights were going on all around them, and the sounds of voices and movement reached them. A group of guards was already emerging from the prison door near Toph. Without hesitation, the earthbender put a wall in front of them. It wouldn't slow them down for long, but that bought them a few precious seconds. She and Aang both drove their feet into the ground to force the wall up and out while Katara sped up her own task. She was dimly aware of Iroh keeping townspeople at bay with his firebending, and from other directions, she could hear swords clashing.

"Look out!" Aang called out the warning, and Katara and Toph obligingly jumped aside. Aang shifted his stance and whirled his arms, bringing air toward him with enough force that the entire wall came free with a groan. Aang also dodged lightly aside as he dropped it onto the ground, making a large platform over the mud.

Katara retrieved her ice as bending water and pulled a little extra from the ground for good measure, but her primary focus was the prisoners who were crouching in corners of their cells, undoubtedly wondering what was going on. The Kyoshi Warriors were immediately recognizable as the ones who looked more like predators ready to spring than cornered prey. Katara held her water at the ready with one hand and stepped forward.

"It's okay," she told them quietly. "We're here to get you out."

"Katara?" Suki's voice sounded disbelieving as one figure stood and separated from the others. Several others rose at the sound of her voice and moved toward Katara.

"We don't exactly have time to chat," Toph warned, and Katara saw that the guards were blasting through her wall. She punched through the earth and got a satisfying groan from the other side. Zuko was trying to keep reinforcements busy with his twin swords, but he was getting pushed back, step by step. Aang was helping by using a mixture of earthbending and airbending to limit the number of people Zuko had to face.

"Right," Katara agreed. She was about to have her own problems. Some of the guards, having realized that they couldn't easily get through to Toph, were unlocking the cell doors to pursue them that way. One enterprising person was even burning his way through the wall. Katara called to the prisoners urgently. She froze the first door she could see, but she couldn't keep them all shut. "Come on, this way!"

Aang came to help her get everyone out. The Kyoshi Warriors might have been underfed and tired, but they pulled themselves together admirably, blocking the doors until the other prisoners were out. When the guards broke through, the warriors retreated slowly, lashing out with unarmed attacks whenever they had an opportunity. When they reached the open wall, Katara and Aang moved in to cover their escape.

"Is Sokka—" Suki began as she reached Katara's side, but she was interrupted by his voice.

"Retreat!" he called out, waving his ruddy sword in the direction of their planned escape. Katara and Suki led the way towards Iroh's position along with Aang and Sokka, while Toph and Zuko tried to disengage and bring up the rear.

"We're going to need to make a path," said Katara, seeing Iroh exchanging fire with six guards. A number of townspeople were milling around nearby as though they didn't quite know what to do.

"I'm on it!" declared Aang, rushing to the front. He stepped down firmly, following that by sweeping his arms in front of him. The mob parted as a sharp ridge of earth pushed through the middle of the crowd and forced the people to either side. Two opposite gales came up immediately afterward, making them shield their eyes and keeping them back.

"Ow!" Katara heard the exclamation behind her as she reached the path and looked over her shoulder. Not able to see so well when she crossed the fallen wall, Toph had stubbed a toe. Before Katara could react, Zuko had shifted his swords to one hand and raised Toph up by her arm. They then began running again. Katara and Sokka each took one side of the improvised exit, using water and sword as needed to discourage people from fighting the wind to reach them.

They burst free of the crowd, but the distance between the edge of town and the foothills marking their freedom seemed impossibly long as they started to run across the open plain.

"We're not going to make it," Katara gasped to her brother, seeing her fear and despair mirrored in his face. Their pursuers were too close. Aang and Toph had quick ways of traveling, but what about the rest of them? They had to find a way to slow down the people chasing them.

"We'll take care of it," Zuko shouted, then he turned and faced the colonists. Suddenly, the earth shifted under Katara's feet. The ground was rolling, shoving their group all forward. Aang got to her and grabbed her around the waist. He was able to control the ground under them, easing the journey, but the others weren't so lucky. They landed at the foot of a ridge in a heap, limbs tangled.

"Oh, my tailbone!" Iroh complained as he sat up and rubbed his lower back.

"Sokka!" Suki exclaimed as she disentangled from one of her warriors and scrambled toward him. "I knew you'd come!"

"I'm sorry it took so long," he apologized, but she didn't let him say any more as she threw herself at him and kissed him emphatically. He had dropped his sword somewhere. Katara turned backward to see what was going on behind. It looked like Toph had made cracks and uneven blocks in the ground outside of the town, making it very rough terrain. For good measure, Zuko set fire to a strip of grass beyond that. Already dry from the heat of the summer sun, it roared into a blaze quickly.

"Start climbing!" Aang urged everybody, but Katara hesitated for another moment. She watched Toph take a rough hold of Zuko and pull him along as she made the earth raise and lower beneath her feet, giving her the stride of a giant. Then Katara joined in the climb upwards. The rescue appeared to be a success.

--

Author's Note: I meant no offense with the comment about military people lacking imagination. I just thought it fit with the story.

Review responses:

The Overseer: Thank you very much.

musiclover9419: Great, thanks!

Tetsu Dienonychus: I know; Zuko said he wanted to make up for past misdeeds, but other than joining Aang, he didn't really take any steps towards that in regards to Song, Kyoshi Island, etc. And I take your earthbender hint, but…let's just say there are some things a man must do alone.

GlowItUp101: Relationship and character development are the most important elements of a story to me, and I'm not a fan of random fights that don't fit into the overall plot. I thought the show did entirely too much of that. When I do an action scene, it's to further the plot and/or develop relationships.

Amber Pegasus: I think you'll have to wait another chapter for the heartwarming part, but I hope this was enough action, if somewhat vague, to satisfy the people who like such things.

Katsumara: Wow, you actually reviewed each chapter! I hardly know where to begin, other than to say that I'm happy you've rejoined us and gotten caught up. I'm afraid I pretty well exhausted my Zuko/ Aang bonding ideas in the first three chapters, so I don't think there will be a loss there.


	18. Chapter 18: Meetings and Partings

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Late again! So sorry! I guess 10 days is my new normal interval…

**Meetings and Partings**

Unfortunately, they were not able to rest long after escaping into the earth. Appa greeted everyone enthusiastically when they arrived, and Momo flitted around until finally settling on Toph's shoulder. Suki and her warriors took advantage of the little time they did have to sit against the stone walls after the mountain was sealed behind them and they collected to count noses by firelight.

"What happened to the other prisoners?" asked Katara as she realized that only the Kyoshi Warriors had made it here with the Avatar's group. She was moving among the people, healing those who needed it. There weren't many who had escaped without at least a few scratches, bruises, or burns, but none of the injuries were serious.

"They scattered," Suki shrugged. "They probably had families nearby."

"We have to assume they know the area better than we do," Aang remarked. "I don't think there's anything we can do for them now."

"Right," agreed Sokka, who was kneeling in front of Suki as though he didn't want to let her get more than two feet away from him ever again. "We need to get moving, too. If those soldiers and guards decide to start blasting into the mountain, I don't want to be here."

Suki managed to stifle her reflexive groan, but some of her warriors didn't. Their escape had involved a lot of exertion after a period of confinement, and she wanted nothing more than to sit here and rest her head on Sokka's shoulder. However, she understood his reasoning. They did need to put some distance between them and this town, and there would be time to rest later.

She stood with the others and couldn't help smiling at Sokka. It was really nice to be with this group again, especially by his side. She knew that she must have had a good reason for leaving him at the end of Serpent's Pass, but at the moment, she had no idea what could possibly have been so important.

In fact, Suki was hardly aware of anything but him as they began to trudge along a path continuously created by Toph in front of them and closed off by Aang behind them. It was a little claustrophobic, but she wasn't scared. With two powerful earthbenders, they couldn't get trapped.

As they walked, Suki and Sokka got caught up on what had been happening since the last time they'd seen each other. Sokka was amazed to learn that Suki had found Appa days before his reunion with Aang.

"So let me get this straight," he said. "Azula was tracking Appa, planning to find Aang, but she ran into you instead?" Suki confirmed this, but she cut him off when he once again tried to blame himself for her troubles. For her part, she was annoyed but not particularly surprised when she heard that Princess Azula and her friends had used some of her warriors' uniforms to gain access to the Earth Kingdom capital.

"I didn't think too much about the fact that they took our clothes, but now that you mention it, that does make sense," she sighed. Then, something else occurred to her. "You thought I was there, and you didn't come to see me?"

"I'm sorry!" he apologized quickly. "Don't you think I've wondered a thousand times what might have happened if I'd decided to stop and see you instead of taking right off with Aang?"

"You have?"

"Well, sure. If I'd come back to the palace and put off our trip, I might have realized right away that they were impostors."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Katara broke in suddenly from behind them. "Toph said she had to tell you who they were. Seeing them earlier might not have changed anything."

"I don't know. Maybe."

"I didn't recognize them, either," Katara argued. "Not until they attacked me, and by then it was too late."

"Anyway," Sokka turned his attention back to Suki, clearly not wanting to discuss all of the details right now. "I wanted to see my dad, and Aang needed to go see this guru. It seemed really important at the time. We expected to be back in a few days, and we thought Ba Sing Se was safe, especially the palace. Do you think I'd have left my sister alone there otherwise?" He looked so forlorn that Suki immediately felt badly for him.

"You had other things to worry about," Suki rushed to reassure him. "You didn't know I was a prisoner, or where I was."

"That's true, but it's no excuse." Sokka appeared to be determined to wallow in self-recrimination. "When I did realize the real Kyoshi Warriors weren't in Ba Sing Se, I should have figured out that they had to get the uniforms from somewhere, not to mention find out who you were. It's not like your group is common knowledge."

"None of us thought of that," Katara put in again. "You don't have to be alone in this." Sokka made no reply.

"So what were you doing all that time?" Suki prompted him, deciding it was better to get him talking about something else. So he told her about their exploits as they traveled through the Fire Nation. He'd reached the point where they'd arrived at the island selected for the rendezvous before the Day of Black Sun when Katara declared that they'd traveled enough for the day. Most everyone slumped gratefully to the floor at that announcement, wherever they happened to be standing.

Aang and Katara went to retrieve food and other supplies from the bags Appa was carrying, and it wasn't until then that Suki noticed something different between them. When Aang leaned close and brushed his lips against Katara's cheek, Suki pulled Sokka toward her.

"So, have those two finally…?" she asked him softly, indicating the pair with her head.

"What?" he followed her gaze. "Oh, yeah. They made it official a couple of weeks ago." While Suki had guessed at the romantic undercurrents between the Avatar and the waterbender a long time ago, she was kind of surprised that Sokka seemed to be taking it so well.

"And you're okay with it?" she asked.

"Sure," Sokka grinned at her. "Now that you're with me, I could be okay with just about anything."

"Well, obviously, I can't argue with that," said Suki, laughing a little. However, Sokka sobered, and Suki saw that hint of pain in his eyes again. She'd first seen it during the night they'd spent in Serpent's Pass, and it gave her the sense that there was something he wasn't telling her. She was afraid to ask what it meant, who the person was that he'd lost.

"Seriously," he continued, looking back toward his sister. "I saw how she was when Aang was unconscious. It was…. Whatever happens, I won't be the one to keep them apart."

Suki just nodded her understanding, and the next hour or so passed quietly. Everyone ate their meals and went to sleep, one by one. When they woke up, which felt like morning but was probably actually afternoon, they got down to business.

"Where are we going to go?" asked Miko, one of the Kyoshi Warriors. That was a good question, and Suki looked to Sokka for the answer.

"We were planning to take you with us as far as Ba Sing Se," he replied. "We have an appointment to keep there. After that, you can decide what you want to do." He was avoiding Suki's eyes, and she thought she could guess what he was thinking. She had left him before out of loyalty to her warriors; would she do that again? She wished she could answer that question with complete certainty, but at the moment, she couldn't.

"It will take us several weeks to get there," the old firebender known as Iroh remarked. "You should have time to recuperate and discuss the matter before then."

"Several weeks?" Sokka echoed, looking confused. "If we keep going the way we have been, it should take a week or less."

"But we can't keep going the way we have been," Iroh responded placidly. "These old bones can't take this kind of exertion for long."

"Not only that, the Kyoshi Warriors are wiped out and need time to get their strength back," Katara added. "And Aang needs to start learning bending again."

"They're right, Sokka," the Avatar added his voice to the discussion. "I haven't done any training in days. I really need to get back to it."

"It's probably not such a good idea to get there too early, either," contributed Toph. "I mean, there aren't any walls to hide us anymore. Do you really think we should just sit in the open for two weeks?"

"Okay, you win," Sokka held up his hands in surrender. "Slow and steady it is." Silent until now, Zuko rose to his feet.

"This is where I leave you all," the prince announced. He turned to the Kyoshi Warriors. "I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry I tried to burn down your village. I…I was a different person then." Suki glanced around at her warriors before answering for them.

"That's okay," she said. "Aang saved our village, and you helped us get out of prison. Where are you going?"

"Somewhere I probably should have gone a long time ago," he answered mysteriously. With no further explanation, he addressed Toph. "Would you mind making me an exit?"

"Wait," said Katara. "You can't go like that." She ran over to Appa and packed a bag with food and a little money, adding a rolled blanket he could tie to his waist. She brought them over to the firebender, who accepted them solemnly.

"Thank you," he said simply. He began to arrange the supplies so that he could easily carry them.

"Well, I know you need to travel light, but you won't do anyone any good if you starve to death," she advised. Then, impulsively, she gave him a quick hug. "I hope you find what you're looking for." Zuko looked startled for a moment, but then, he nodded.

"Now that's something I thought I'd never see," Suki commented to Sokka in a whisper.

"Yeah, well, they came to an understanding a little while ago," he murmured back. "Before that, I think Katara wanted to kill him. Literally." He left her side to offer Zuko his good wishes, and Aang joined him in that.

Meanwhile, Toph had stood up and urged people out of the way so that she could make the opening Zuko had requested. She punched a hole through the rock, and Suki noticed for the first time that her style of earthbending wasn't quite like any other she had seen.

When the goodbyes were done, Zuko stepped out of the hole Toph had made for him, and both Toph and Iroh followed him. Suki went back to what she really wanted to do – get reacquainted with Sokka.

***

Zuko stopped just outside the newly made cave, which he knew would be sealed up again soon after he left. A beautiful vista spread out before him: a range of mountains, followed by foothills, then finally the flat plain that he knew would lead him to the sea. However, he had a hard time appreciating its beauty when he thought about how tough it would be to cross all of that land. He estimated at least two weeks to reach his destination. The route he'd planned out from Sokka's map was firmly imprinted on his mind. He took a deep breath of fresh mountain air before turning to make his final farewells.

Iroh stepped forward first, and the two men stared at each other for a while. Everything that needed to be said between them seemed to have already been said. In the end, it was Zuko who broke the silence.

"This seems to be happening a lot lately," he remarked. "We get together just to go our separate ways again." Iroh smiled his sage smile.

"We will find each other again," he said confidently. "And we will return home. We have much work to do there." With that, Iroh swept Zuko into a rough bear hug. Then he stepped back and cast a glance at Toph. "I'll leave you two alone."

"I just…" Toph began, once Iroh had withdrawn. She actually seemed to be struggling with what to say. Zuko couldn't help but be a little amused; he'd never seen her at a loss for words before. "Take care of yourself. You have a part to play in this little drama, too."

"I know, and I will." By now, Zuko had learned that this was Toph's way of saying she cared. However, her words struck a chord inside of him. His life had always been a drama, now that he looked back on it. Just once, he would have liked to see what it felt like to be in a comedy instead. He thought about the pathetic troupe of actors on Ember Island and rolled his eyes. On second thought, maybe not. He probably would have been the one everyone made jokes about, and he'd had enough of that, too.

Zuko continued to regard Toph in silence for a moment. It was a little unnerving to have her milky eyes just staring out at nothing while he studied her face, but he was getting used to it. For one insane moment, he wondered if she would consider coming with him, to provide company and make his path easier. He'd been a loner for so long, but now solitude was the last thing he wanted. How quickly things could change.

"Twinkle-toes still has a lot of earthbending to learn," she said, as though she had heard his unspoken question.

"Yes," he agreed quietly, trying not to show the stupid disappointment that rose in his chest. After all, he'd already known what role she had to play. "We're running out of time."

"I hope you know what you're doing."

_So do I_, Zuko thought. Aloud, he said, "I need to do this. I only know half the story of my life, if that. There are some questions I need answers to, before I face my father or sister again."

"Like why your mother married a psychopath?"

"Something like that, yes." Zuko surprised himself by smiling. From anyone else, such a question might have sounded insulting, but somehow, from Toph, it was just funny. She was teaching him to laugh at himself, and he had the feeling that was as important as anything else he'd learned in recent years.

On a more serious note, Zuko _had_ found himself wondering lately how his parents ended up married. For years, he had forced thoughts of his mother out of his mind. From his viewpoint, she'd abandoned him, and it had been easier just to avoid thinking about her. In the past year, though, things had changed. Now he knew that she had a reason for leaving, and he had given himself the time to realize the contrasts in his family. In all of his memories of his mother, she was so kind and sweet. As his eyes had gradually been opened to who and what his father really was, he had become increasingly mystified as to where his mother fit in. Maybe she was the key to why he never really felt at home in the palace.

"Well, good luck," Toph broke into his thoughts. Then they both stood there, feeling that something else should be done or said. Most of the others probably would have finished with a hug, but Zuko still wasn't very accustomed to such displays of affection, and Toph didn't seem very comfortable with them, either.

"I guess I'd better get going," he broke the awkward silence. "I've only got a few hours of daylight." Almost instantly, he could have kicked himself. What did she care whether it was night or day? However, Toph's face brightened, and she seemed not to notice his slip of the tongue.

"I can help you get started," she told him. Digging her feet into the ground, she made a graceful, sweeping motion with her arms. Zuko turned to look and saw that a smooth path had been created for him, leading gradually down the first mountain. He turned back to her gratefully.

"Thank you," he said earnestly. "I'll see you soon."

"I'll sense you first," she returned smugly. Zuko nodded and headed down the slope. A little way down, he turned back to look up at the cave where the others were hiding. Toph was still standing there. Somehow, standing on the side of a mountain, the wind whipping loose strands of her hair around her face, he knew that she was truly where she belonged. She was a towering pillar of strength and elemental beauty, and for a moment, he thought he saw a vision of the woman inside her, waiting to break free. Then the moment passed, and he set his feet upon his new journey.

--

Author's Note: Okay, so Katara finally hugged Zuko, and now I have to split my attention between Zuko and the others. I already have some good plans for the next chapter.

Review responses:

arizony: I'm glad I can at least create the impression that I don't have to work at this. Conversations usually flow pretty smoothly, but the action scenes are harder.

my trancey inspiration: Well, I'll have to read that. I've had some people say they want more detail in my battles, but when you get up to six people on either side, it gets way too complicated to do a blow-by-blow. I prefer to focus on one person's experience and what he/she might be aware of.

Natsuki. Great, I'm glad you're with me on the Toko. I'm trying to play it slow enough to make it realistic. Obviously, I, too, was disappointed by the lack of wrap-up. I don't know if I'll get to Song; I dealt with her in Destiny's Call, and I hate to repeat myself.

The Overseer: At the moment, I have the final battle slated to last four chapters, but we'll see how that really works out. I'm always glad to hear (er, read?) that someone likes my action scenes because they are definitely the hardest for me and probably my biggest weakness.

musiclover9419: My "Boiling Rock" or the official one? I did think about just skipping that and saying "Imagine that 'Liselle's Boiling Rock' happened here," but I decided it would be more fun to go in a different direction. It fits better into my story, too.

Tetsu Dienonychus: Yes, well, I wanted to get Suki in here, but I didn't want to just rewrite Boiling Rock again. It's a nice stretch of my creativity.

kataang412: Wow, that's a great compliment! Thanks!

Alex Glebov: I don't do a lot of fanfic reading anymore – most of my time at the computer is absorbed with either work, personal communication, or writing – but I will add you to my list. Thank you for reading.

Amber Pegasus: Yes, there was, and I'm hoping to have action about every 3-5 chapters, on average. It's a lot of work to write even a brief action scene, so I can't afford to just throw them away.

chocolatecoveredbananacheese: Wow, talk about a blast from the past! Yes, I'm still writing, and I feel like I have more ideas than ever but less time in which to write them down. I was really happy to see your review, so I decided to respond, even though it was from Chapter 16 instead of 17.:)


	19. Chapter 19: Confessions

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I'm sorry if some of this chapter and the last were re-hashing a lot from the show, but I thought it was important to catch Suki up on events that she missed, and in some cases, I really wanted to show how she got caught up.

**Confessions**

The days passed, and the newly enlarged group settled into a routine. They would travel for a few hours, stop so that Aang could train for most of the day, then rest. While Aang trained, anyone who wasn't teaching him would often hunt, fish, or gather food. There were more mouths to feed but also more hands to help with the work. They also took turns with things like washing the clothes, and occasionally, one or two of them would go to a settlement to purchase supplies. Katara had started picking up new clothing for the Kyoshi Warriors this way, so that they could go on later expeditions without looking too much like escaped prisoners.

Katara was actually pretty happy. They were keeping hidden most of the time, so there were no attacks. If anyone was chasing them after the prison break, they'd either given up or had been left far enough behind that it wasn't a concern. It sort of reminded her of the first few weeks after joining Aang, when he'd been taking them to his favorite places in a haphazard manner. Even better, the full moon had passed, and Katara hadn't wanted to use bloodbending even once.

The only thing that marred her good mood was that she was hardly getting any time alone with Aang. The downside of spending most of your time in caves with a dozen people was that privacy was really hard to come by. When he was outside, he was usually in a firebending or earthbending lesson. Katara enjoyed watching these, as she was right now, but she was beginning to grow impatient. Despite the epic situation in which she found herself, a part of her was just a teenage girl feeling neglected by her boyfriend.

_So you're running a close second to saving the world, _she chided herself. _Do you know how many girls would love to be in your shoes right now?_ When she put it that way, it did seem silly. Besides, she was ashamed to recall all of the times she'd shoved her feelings for him aside because she felt there were more important things to do. If they didn't have much time together now, it was her fault more than his.

_Waterbending, _she decided. _In a few days, we'll have to refill our water containers again. I'll say that he needs to practice some waterbending. That will give us an excuse to be alone together. _One distinct advantage to having Suki with them now was that Sokka was far too interested in sneaking off with her to pay too much attention to what Katara was doing, and this little sister was planning to take advantage of that as much as possible.

"Katara?" Suki's voice interrupted Katara's thoughts. As Katara turned her head, it was odd to see Suki without Sokka. The two had been practically inseparable since the rescue.

"Hi, Suki," Katara responded. "Where's Sokka?"

"Fishing." Suki sat cross-legged and lowered her gaze for a moment, twisting her hands in her lap. Katara shifted her position until she was facing the older girl.

"Is something wrong?" she asked with concern.

"No…yes…I'm not sure." Suki met Katara's eyes. "Katara, who did Sokka lose at the North Pole?"

"Who…he didn't tell you?" Katara knew instantly that she must mean Yue.

"When we crossed Serpent's Pass, he told me that he lost someone and didn't want that to happen again, but that's all. It was a girl, wasn't it?"

Katara sighed heavily. She could understand why Sokka didn't want to talk about that, but really, Suki had a right to know, especially if the secret was preventing them from getting closer. Katara opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

"It should be Sokka who tells you about it," she said.

"I don't want to push him—"

"That's why I will," stated Katara firmly. "You both need him to do this. Wait right here." She stood up and picked her way down to the pond where she guessed her brother would be.

Sure enough, he was sitting there with his line in the water. Katara called out to him when she was still some distance away, so she wouldn't take him by surprise. In enemy territory – which was almost the entire civilized world at the moment – the last thing she wanted to do was startle a warrior.

By the time she reached him, he was hauling in a fish. Apparently, the pond was very productive, as evidenced by the five good-sized specimens already lying on a nearby rock.

"Nice work," she complimented him. He wasn't going to like what she had to say next, so she might as well butter him up a little first. "Suki was just talking to me." Immediately, Sokka turned to her with a wary expression.

"What about?" he demanded.

"You haven't told her about Yue."

"Of course not." He looked away again, focusing on removing the hook from the mouth of his catch, weighing it down as it attempted to flop away from him. "What would be the point?"

"To clear the air," Katara suggested. She waited until he had finished his task and tossed the weakened fish onto the rock with the others. "You've hinted enough to make her suspicious."

"Suspicious? Why would she be suspicious?"

"You told her you lost someone, and she just asked if it was a girl. You need to tell her the rest."

"You do it for me." His eyes were full of pleading, but Katara was immune to that. She loved her brother, but she wasn't _in_ love with him, and that made a world of difference.

"No way," she declined flatly. "I'm not doing your dirty work for you." With that she stalked forward and grabbed him by the ponytail, prepared to drag him up the hill if necessary.

"Ow!" he protested, raising both of his hands and wresting his hair free from her grip after a brief and no doubt painful struggle. "Okay, okay! I'll do it! It's just…" He sat down in the grass, looking morose. Katara dropped down beside him.

"Look, I know it must be hard to talk about," she said gently.

"It's not just that," Sokka sighed, shaking his head. "I don't want to make her feel like she's my second choice."

Katara gazed at him for a long moment, surprised. She never would have guessed that part of his problem was concern for Suki's feelings. He was rarely that sensitive with her or Aang.

"Trust me, it's worse for her not to know," she informed him. "This is coming between you without your saying anything. Secrets do that sometimes."

"Yeah. I guess you're right. I'm just not sure how to tell her."

"Have you really let Yue go?"

Sokka didn't answer right away. He chewed his lip, thinking carefully. Katara knew that look, and she left him in peace until he came to a decision.

"Yes," he announced finally. He turned to face her again. "Yes, I have."

"And Suki's the only one you want to be with now?"

"Yes."

"Then focus on that," Katara advised. "By not talking about Yue, you're leading Suki to think that this mystery girl is your one great love that you'll never get over. Keeping the secret is probably making the past a bigger deal than it really is." Sokka gaped at her in disbelief, and then shook his head.

"Have I ever mentioned that girls are crazy?" he remarked.

"At least once a day since I was six," answered Katara immediately. "That doesn't change anything."

"No, it doesn't," he agreed.

"Tell you what," offered Katara. "Let's trade one dirty job for another. I'll clean the fish for you and bring them back to the cave. You go talk to Suki. She's waiting for you."

Sokka's expression clearly indicated that he would much rather be up to his elbows in fish guts than face his upcoming conversation, but he nodded anyway, handing over his scaling knife before turning to plod up the slope.

Katara set to work, happy to have something useful to do. It reminded her of home, except that the air was much warmer. When she was finished, she scattered the pieces she wasn't using for the animals that might lurk in the area. Maybe it was being around Aang, but she had a better appreciation for the cycle of life than she'd once had and understood that scavengers needed to eat, too. She wrapped the fish filets in leaves and laid them neatly in the basket Sokka had left for her. After all that was done, she checked to make sure she was still alone, and then washed herself and her clothing thoroughly in the pond before heading back.

Aang didn't like the smell of fish very much, and she was hoping to get close to him later.

***

Sokka found Suki sitting on a rocky outcrop with her arms wrapped around her knees. The spot had a good view of the area where Aang was training with Toph, and Sokka could only conclude that Katara had chosen it for that reason. Suki must have found her there.

"Hi," said Sokka lamely. He sat down beside her. "There's something I have to tell you."

"If you don't want to, you don't have to," she replied quickly, but she wasn't looking at him. Sokka realized that Katara's evaluation of the situation had been completely accurate, and he didn't know why he hadn't seen it sooner. This secret was standing between them. Had he let that happen on purpose? A very uncomfortable question, and he didn't have a clear answer.

"I want to," he told her, finally starting to believe his own words. "More than that, I need to." He paused, collecting his thoughts before telling the story. "I met a girl at the North Pole last winter. Her name was Yue."

"Was she pretty?"

What a strange question to ask. Sokka's first instinct was to lie, but when he looked carefully at Suki, he decided he'd better not. He was still getting used to seeing her without makeup, but the effect was not unpleasant.

"Yes, she was pretty," he admitted. "We liked each other, but she was engaged to someone else. They have arranged marriages up there."

"That's awful!" Suki exclaimed. "A woman should be able to make her own decision on what to do with her life." Sokka regarded her for a moment in silence, wondering if she'd had an argument like this once before. Even on Kyoshi Island, not that many of the women became warriors, and all of them had looked young. Had she felt any pressure already to get married and raise a family?

"Anyway, a man named Admiral Zhao led a Fire Navy fleet to attack the North Pole," Sokka resumed, setting aside all extraneous questions. "Somehow, he knew that the Moon and Ocean spirits lived there in mortal bodies, as fish."

"There are two spirits that are fish?" interrupted Suki.

"Yes. They live in a place called the Spirit Oasis. It's the only warm spot in the North Pole, and they swim in a pond. Admiral Zhao was able to get all the way there, and he killed the Moon Spirit." At some level, Sokka marveled at how easily he was talking about spirits now, when he once would have dismissed most of that lore as superstition.

"What?" Suki was clearly astonished, as well as absorbed in the story. "Why?"

"Waterbenders get their power from the moon," Sokka explained. "By killing the moon spirit, he caused a lunar eclipse, which made the waterbenders defending the tribe all but useless. Aang and Iroh both tried to stop him, but Zhao was too fast. Then…well, this is a long story, but a little of the Moon Spirit was in Yue. So, she…gave it back."

"I don't understand. Gave it back?"

"She sacrificed herself and put her spirit into the fish body. Now, Yue is the Moon Spirit." It was an abridged version of the story, but Sokka hoped it would be enough. When he had finished, Suki didn't say anything for a long time.

"So, you fell in love with the Moon Spirit?" she asked finally.

"She wasn't a spirit when I met her!" he protested, but his own words brought him up short. Had he loved her? He had never used that word himself – they'd had so little time, and it was forbidden – but now that he thought about it, he supposed he had.

"That night…the moon…" Suki mused thoughtfully, gazing at the sky as though she might see that pale disk. However, it was the middle of the afternoon, and the moon hadn't risen yet. "That's why you wouldn't kiss me."

"I'm sorry," Sokka apologized quickly. "I thought I was ready, but…with the moon over us, I guess I realized that I hadn't really let her go."

"So, the next morning?"

"I don't know if I can really explain. Something changed. I was ready to move on. Just in time for you to leave." Sokka shook his head at the perverseness of life, then took hold of Suki's shoulders and forced her to face him. "You're the only girl I've thought about ever since you left," he told her truthfully. "You're the one I want to be with."

"Really?" This was the most vulnerable Suki had appeared since Sokka had known her, and he understood that it had been right to get all this out in the open. Katara had been correct again. It was an annoying trait of hers, but sometimes useful.

"Yes, really," he assured her, and he finally dared to take her into an embrace. "Maybe I should have told you before, but I was afraid that – that you might feel hurt knowing that there was someone else."

"Oh, Sokka," she said in that endearingly exasperated tone. "I'm not upset that you fell in love with someone else."

"You're not?"

"Of course not. I spent some time beating you up, then kissed you on the cheek. It's not like we had an understanding or anything. You didn't even know if you'd ever see me again."

Sokka sat back, thinking this over. Certainly, everything she said was true. Just because he'd met Suki first, it didn't mean that he owed her anything in particular, especially loyalty to a relationship that had not really started. If they'd had more time to spend together back then…well, such questions were useless, and Sokka wasn't usually one to look backward. However, these reflections brought to mind another question.

"So…was there anyone else for you?" Sokka's feelings as he uttered this were mixed. On the one hand, he felt a little knot of jealousy rising up at the thought, as ridiculous as he intellectually knew that was, given the topic they had just been discussing. On the other hand, a part of him had the sense that there would be a sort of fairness between them if she had found someone else in between.

"No," she said. "Like I said in Serpent's Pass, I've mostly thought about you since you left Kyoshi Island."

"Oh." Sokka didn't know what else to say to that. Her confession made him feel both relieved and guilty at the same time.

"It's a little different for me," Suki went on. "I mean, most guys aren't that interested in hanging around a female warrior." Sokka smiled at her, thinking that he himself never would have imagined, in his narrowly constrained life at the South Pole, that he would one day enjoy the company of a woman who could throw him.

"Sometimes you have to be willing to try something new," he said. With that, Suki pulled him close for a deep kiss. When they broke from that, she led him to a shielded place where they could no longer see anyone else, and further words were unnecessary for a long while.

Yes, girls were crazy, Sokka decided, but it was a good kind of crazy.

--

Author's Note: In case you hadn't noticed, it bothered me that the show never clearly indicated that Sokka had let go of Yue, but he took up with Suki in The Boiling Rock like there had never been any doubt. I liked this approach better than Suki finding out while watching a bad play. Besides, they still never really dealt with it afterward.

Review responses:

The Overseer: It's not as close as you might think. We still have to free Ba Sing Se, reunite Zuko with his mother, then reunite the rest of the group with him before the big finish. Right now, I'm guessing I will end up with about 30 chapters, but I'll know more as I get closer to the end.

musiclover9419: Yes, I will occasionally switch to what Zuko is up to, but probably only two or three times. I'm afraid I don't plan to address Haru and the others until the finale. I only have so much time, and I'd like to keep these chapters to a manageable length.

Tetsu Dienonychus: Believe it or not, the Iroh bit in the last chapter was an afterthought. I was focused on Toph saying goodbye, and then it occurred to me that there should be something with Iroh as well. I agree with you on action scenes, and I keep reminding people that the script writers got to skip those because they were handled primarily by artists.

Halogazer: Thank you so much! Character and relationship development are my favorite things to write, and I think the show left a lot of that unfinished.

blue-kataang: To each his own, I guess. Most people like me writing dialogue scenes like this.

Amber Pegasus: Yes, and there's a little more romance here. Probably some in the next chapter, too.


	20. Chapter 20: Evensong

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I know, I'm really late! I had two crazy weeks and was away from the computer a lot of the time. I am really sorry! I'm hoping I can get on a more regular writing schedule starting in June.

**Evensong**

Katara arrived at the cave as afternoon was waning, and Aang could tell instantly that she'd been with her element. Even had her hair not been still slightly damp, there was a certain glow in her face that only appeared when she'd been immersed in water.

_The ocean, _he thought at he rose to greet her. _Wherever we live, it has to be near the ocean._ He'd always liked the seaside, anyway, and the expansive view it granted. It made you feel like the world went on forever and was full of endless possibilities. He liked being able to look out all the way to the blurry line in the distance where the sea met the sky.

_Sea meets sky, _he mused thoughtfully. _That's us, isn't it? _He gave her a quick kiss, and her clean smell made him keenly aware that he'd spent most of the day sweating. He always aired himself out, of course, but he didn't think that compared to her current freshness. Maybe it was time he thought about getting a proper bath. He couldn't remember for certain when he'd had his last one.

"What's in the basket?" he asked curiously.

"Some fish that Sokka caught." She swept her gaze around the rock chamber. "Where is he?"

"I haven't seen him since this morning," Aang shrugged apologetically.

"He's with Suki," announced Toph. "Over in that direction." She waved vaguely, and Katara smiled in a self-satisfied way that Aang didn't understand.

"I'll just start cooking," she decided. "That should bring him soon enough." Knowing the warrior's appetite, that was probably true. With some help from Aang and a few Kyoshi Warriors, Katara set about frying the fish with some herbs and vegetables, keeping a separate vegetarian mix for Aang. Many people didn't consider fish to be meat, but Aang had never seen the distinction between fish and other animals you might eat.

As Katara had predicted, it didn't take long for Sokka and Suki to appear. Everyone arranged themselves on the ground and ate supper, making conversation as they did so.

"Iroh says I'm moving ahead really well on my firebending," Aang informed Katara. He had worked with both his instructors today, and while he was tired, he still wanted to share some of his day with her.

"That is true," Iroh interjected. "I have never seen anyone learn so fast."

"Well, I don't have much choice," said Aang self-deprecatingly. "Actually, I think I have an advantage being the only person who can learn all different styles of bending. You start to see similarities in them, and that helps you learn new techniques."

"Really?" Katara seemed honestly interested in that concept. "I wonder if anyone else could make use of that, even if they can only use one element."

"Possibly," Iroh mused. "I invented a firebending move by watching waterbenders. I think everyone can learn something from other disciplines. It's a mistake to keep things too separated."

"Well, uniting the world is kind of what we're trying to do here, isn't it?" Katara reminded him.

"True," he acknowledged. "The Old Masters have been doing that on a smaller scale for years."

"That's kind of what Guru Pathik told me," remarked Aang. "He said that the separations between the nations weren't real because everything's connected."

"That tree in the swamp told you something like that, too, right?" added Katara.

"Oh, yeah." Aang had nearly forgotten about that. It had also told him that death was an illusion, and so was time – at least, the way humans thought about it. "You know, I have noticed that firebending and waterbending have a lot in common."

"What?" Katara was genuinely shocked, and even Iroh looked surprised. "But they're total opposites!"

"Yes, but when you think about it, opposites are often just two sides of the same thing, right?" insisted Aang. "I mean, a coin has a head and a tail, but it's on the same coin."

"Okay," said Katara doubtfully.

"And it is often said that opposites attract romantically," added Iroh, his eyes twinkling as Aang and Katara exchanged a shy glance, perhaps thinking about the ways they were different from one another. Aang knew he was. Iroh, however, was urging him to say more. "Please continue. I find this fascinating."

"All right," said Aang, and he paused to gather his thoughts, taking a few bites of his supper. "Let's start with water. Most people see it as the source of life. Nothing can live without it – plants, animals, nothing. Right?"

"Right," agreed Iroh and Katara.

"But there's another side to water, too," Aang continued. "Have you ever been in the middle of a really big storm?" It was still hard for Aang to think about that fateful storm 100 years ago that had resulted in his being imprisoned in ice for a couple of generations. However, he was able to push aside the panic that rose up in him at the memory by thinking that it had placed him right where and when he needed to be. He had finally accepted that Katara had been right about that. Besides, if he'd lived out his life normally, he probably never would have met her, and he couldn't imagine that right now. Finding your perfect match might not seem so important to observers when they looked at everything else Aang was facing, but it was of utmost importance to him.

"Indeed I have," Iroh answered Aang's question, and there was an intensity in his expression that Aang couldn't begin to understand. Katara merely nodded, meeting Aang's eyes in a way that let him know she was remembering the second big storm in Aang's life, the one where the two of them had rescued Sokka and a fisherman from an ill-advised fishing expedition.

"The rough ocean can kill," Aang pointed out. "So can floods that sweep over the land, even though water can also be used to support life and heal wounds." A sudden thought occurred to him, and he voiced it. "I guess the waterbenders at the North Pole separate the two sides of water into masculine and feminine aspects. The women there are only allowed healing, the softer, life-giving side of waterbending. The men learn the violent side, the techniques that use the rage of storms and the harshness of ice."

The dawning of recognition appeared in Katara's face, and as Aang looked at her, he couldn't help thinking that she was so like her element – gentle and healing one moment, erupting in fury the next. He doubted that he would ever tell her, but her temper was a part of her, and though he sometimes found her sudden mood shifts disconcerting, he loved them anyway. He didn't know when it had happened, but at some point, he'd learned to accept her as an entire package, and he hoped that she'd accepted his faults as well.

"Well, fire is like that, only backwards," Aang went on. "Most people look at firebending as something that burns and destroys."

"I'm afraid my people have helped with that perspective," sighed Iroh with a grimace.

"Yet firebending comes from the sun," said Aang. "The sun gives light and heat to the world, making it possible for life to exist. We also use fire to give us light and warmth at night." He gestured toward the firepit Katara had just used to prepare their dinner. "We even use it to cook our food."

"So you're saying that fire and water are both part of life and death," commented Katara. "They're just opposite sides of both."

"Exactly," Aang agreed. "In fact, you can sometimes find them together. You can see lightning in a storm, so you could say that a really bad storm is sort of like water, fire, and air all combining into one."

"And causing chaos," laughed Iroh. "That must be why this group has its struggles at times."

"Earthbending seems to be the only thing that doesn't fit into all this," contributed Toph. Aang wondered how long she'd been listening to the conversation, as this was the first time she had shown any interest in it.

"No," conceded Aang, frowning. "Earth is the one element that works differently from the rest. I guess that's why it's been the hardest for me to learn."

"Actually, each element has unique traits," Iroh disagreed with that. "Fire, for example, is the only one that can actually be created from within the bender."

"That's true," nodded Aang. "I need to have air around me to work with, Katara needs water, and Toph needs some form of earth." Katara sighed, and Aang glanced at her with concern.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm the most limited," she complained. "Air and earth are practically everywhere, and fire comes from inside a firebender. I sometimes have to make an effort to find water."

"That's what makes you so amazing," insisted Aang, sensing that she needed reassurance. "You can do a lot with a little." She smiled gratefully at him.

After supper, Aang and Sokka assisted Katara in smoking the fish that hadn't yet been used over the coals of the cooking fire. Aang understood that this helped the meat to last longer, which was helpful for people on a journey. Even though he couldn't and wouldn't partake of it, he felt somewhat responsible for this group he'd helped put together, and he was happy to do whatever he could to keep them going.

Besides, the sooner Katara was done with her task, the more likely he'd get a little time with her before he dropped from exhaustion.

***

They were at it again, but it didn't bother Toph as much as she'd thought it would. Suki typically spent a portion of each day training with her warriors in between chores and traveling, and Sokka often joined them in their exercises. Every spare moment they found, though, those two would slip away to do…what young couples did when they were alone.

In Toph's relatively limited experience with observing interpersonal relationships, she had discovered that not everyone approached similar situations in the same way.

Take romantic involvements, for example. Aang and Katara had exhibited an undercurrent of tension between them ever since Toph had known them. It had taken her a little time to figure out what it was, but once she had, she hadn't understood why they persisted in hiding from each other. After all, their feelings had been so completely obvious to her that it was incomprehensible to Toph that everybody didn't know.

Regardless, in the weeks since becoming an official couple, the tension between Aang and Katara had evaporated, to be replaced by a casual familiarity. They would sometimes slip off on their own, too, but they were discreet. Their time together tended to be short, and they would more likely than not withdraw to a corner to converse in whispers, stealing kisses occasionally. If they were getting any more involved than that, Toph could only assume that they made sure they were well away from her senses when they did so.

Sokka and Suki, on the other hand, seemed to have skipped the "getting-to-know-you" phase of the relationship altogether and gone straight to the physical things Toph remembered from her parents' home. Usually, it was two of the servants she "saw" together, and it had taken her years to understand what she was witnessing. With parents who treated her like a glass doll, it was difficult to learn much about the world. For weeks before getting up the nerve to present herself as a contestant, she had listened to and felt the earthbending competitions inside the mountain. Both the conversations and the movements she sensed had taught her a great deal, even as the competing itself had provided her with a much-needed release from the constraints normally imposed upon her.

In any case, Sokka and Suki either didn't know or didn't care about the extent of Toph's abilities. Thinking it over, Toph decided that it was probably a little bit of both. Toph "watched" them sometimes, at least until her body became uncomfortably warm with sensations that had only recently awakened. Then, she would either shift position to reduce her sensitivity or filter out the more distant vibrations to focus on nearby activities.

Tonight, however, Toph decided she needed some more distance, so she excused herself and left the cave. She sat thoughtfully on the rocks outside. It was a strange, new experience for her to feel that she needed some air, but that seemed to be exactly the case, and she took a few deep breaths.

Somewhat surprisingly, Toph's interest in Sokka and Suki had less to do with jealousy than with simple curiosity. When she thought about the two of them together, she found that she felt nothing of the sort of emotions she'd expected. Certainly, she'd always known, deep down, that Sokka would one day reunite with Suki, but that didn't seem to be the only reason Toph was reconciled to it.

Apparently, Zuko had been right, after all. Toph's feelings for Sokka had evaporated just as quickly as they had emerged. She just wished that the prince were still here for her to tell him. The empty place in her heart now formed a different shape, and she sighed hopelessly.

Eventually, maybe she would ask someone if you always found yourself wanting things that were out of reach, or how you could tell whether things you felt were just passing by or would settle in forever.

Not tonight, though. Tonight, she was content to stretch her senses out as far as they could go and wonder what _he_ was doing right now.

***

"Zuko." The familiar voice spoke softly but urgently, and Zuko couldn't help but take notice.

"Mom?" he whispered uncertainly. It had been a long time, and he wasn't sure he was hearing correctly. Everything was dark, so dark. Impossibly dark. "Where are you?"

"I'm here."

At first, Zuko still saw nothing, an oppressive nothing that seemed to bear down upon him, sucking the air out of his lungs. Then, a series of shadows in front of him separated, and there she was. Pulling the hood back from her cloak, she looked exactly the same as she had the night she'd said goodbye to him. If only he'd realized then what she'd meant.

Wait a minute. This wasn't right. It had been years, and she shouldn't look exactly the same. Should she? He wouldn't expect her to have changed as much as he had, but still…

"Is it really you?" he managed, trying to feel his way through his confusion. His brain seemed to be working sluggishly.

"You shouldn't have come," she told him, not answering his question.

"I had to see you. I miss you."

The form wavered, then dissolved before his eyes. Zuko sat up quickly, hearing a faint "I'm sorry," that seemed to be carried on the wind. It took a few breaths before he realized that he was lying on a hillside, quite alone. He passed a hand across his eyes in confusion.

It had only been a dream, but it was a strange one. For the first time since he'd decided to seek his mother out, he doubted what he was doing. Was it possible that his mother really wouldn't want to see him? Was it really his mother speaking to him, or just his own fears about this meeting?

_What would Uncle say? _he thought as he stood up to pace. He cleared his throat and tried to imitate his uncle's voice.

"Dreams can carry messages of great import. Find the meaning within yourself." Zuko threw up his hands in disgust. "That doesn't help!" Clearly, he needed the advice of someone a little more down-to-earth.

_Of course_. He looked off in the general direction the group had been when he'd left them a week earlier. Of course, they'd have moved on since then, but he had no way of knowing exactly where they would be. He didn't really know how to talk like an earthbender, but he decided to give it a try.

"What difference does it make?" he said as Toph. "Just do what you gotta do and get back to business."

He didn't sound anything like her, but Zuko found himself smiling into the night. Yes, that probably was just about what she'd say, and she'd be right. It didn't matter what the source of the dream was. He'd made his decision and had to see it through. Besides, he'd already faced his father, who might be said to represent his darker half. It shouldn't be any more challenging to face his mother on the other side, and he needed the answers she might hold.

Reassured, he lay back down and rolled up in his blanket, rehearsing his interview with his mother until he fell asleep again.

--

Review responses:

The Overseer: The Gaang will be helping in the battle. I'm not waiting until the comet because my husband and I thought that was kind of stupid. I mean, a handful of master benders against a city full of firebenders at full strength? That didn't make a lot of sense. Besides, I have other plans for Iroh.;)

musiclover9419: I actually wrote a songfic where Yue comes to Sokka in a dream that night and tells him he has to let go. It would have been nice to see something spiritual and explanatory like that. And you got a little Zuko this chapter.

Tetsu Dienonychus: Yeah, I thought the play was funny, and if it weren't for the horribly written Kataang scene and the lack of development in other areas, I could really have enjoyed the episode. You're probably right about the Yue issue, but as you said, there's little reason for it to resurface in the next couple of months of story time.

E.A. King: Thank you very much. There truly isn't enough good Sukka written. I won't have that much time to spend on them, but I'm trying to give them some nice scenes.

Atem's Sister Atea: Thanks!

Amber Pegasus: Thank you. I'm glad you liked it.

TymofeY: Considering that the show did not actually resolve the Kataang ship in a satisfactory manner, they might as well have been a couple earlier. I'm trying to show how such a development would add to the story rather than detract from it. Anyway, thanks for reading!


	21. Chapter 21: The Phoenix King

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: This was something I liked in the finale – Ozai declaring himself king of the world and leaving Azula to handle the Fire Nation. However, I'm bringing it in earlier and making it a pivotal point of my story. And for those of you who miss the Kataang fluff, read on!

**The Phoenix King**

Katara's chance came a few days later. As everyone was deciding what they were going to do for the day, she spoke up.

"I want Aang to help me get water from the stream," she announced, looking around and daring anyone to contradict her. Not surprisingly, her brother took the bait.

"I think Aang has more important things to do," he objected. "Like master all of the elements?"

"That includes water," Katara pointed out. She smiled sweetly at Sokka, having expected this argument. "It's been a long time since he's practiced waterbending, and I wouldn't want him to forget it."

"The young lady has a valid point," Iroh broke in. "Even though Aang has had more time to learn waterbending, he shouldn't neglect it completely." Ignoring him, Sokka kept his focus on Katara, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. She met his gaze calmly and innocently, and if he suspected her of ulterior motives, he couldn't find any evidence. He also couldn't come up with a good reason to prevent her from taking Aang away with her. Sokka wasn't the only one in the family who was good at planning.

"Okay, fine," Sokka gave in. "You shouldn't need a whole day, so be back by midday."

That was actually more time than Katara had expected, so now she just had to hope that Suki would do her part by keeping Sokka occupied so that he wouldn't spy on them. She exchanged a quick glance with the older girl and got the complicit nod in response. Burdened with all of the canteens and barrels their group had amassed, she and Aang went down to the stream.

Katara felt unaccountably shy as she undressed. She realized that they hadn't done this since admitting that they loved each other, which was probably the reason for her feeling differently about it now.

As usual, Aang left his pants on when he waded into the fast-moving water. This had always confused Katara because he showed no reluctance to strip down to almost nothing in other situations. As his eyes traveled over her body before quickly looking away, however, she thought she had an idea. Her face heated up, and she felt the urge to smack her forehead, Sokka style, for not figuring it out sooner. While she slipped into the water to join him, she felt that Aang must sometimes think her a complete fool for missing things like that.

"So, what do you want to do?" Aang asked, and she couldn't help smiling at him, all thoughts of her chronic obtuseness pushed out of her mind by how he looked. Deciding that turnabout was fair play, she allowed herself a moment to take in the features she hadn't seen in too long. All the training from the past few months was clearly agreeing with him. His arms and shoulders were showing greater definition than before, and he moved with more confidence. In addition, after the initial burning and peeling that had plagued him after the summer solstice, his skin had now taken on a golden tone from sun exposure that complemented his tattoos nicely.

"Actually, I'm doing it," she told him, giggling when he looked at her in bewilderment.

"I don't understand," he said.

"I have a confession to make," she admitted. "I really made the suggestion so I'd get some uninterrupted time alone with you." Aang blinked at her a few times, then a slow smile spread across his face, and something about it made Katara's heart beat faster.

"That's the best thing I've heard in weeks," he informed her happily. "I never would have thought of that."

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to do some waterbending while we're here," Katara remarked. "I mean, we're all ready and everything."

"In that case…" Aang's face took on that sly yet playful expression that was one of his trademarks. "Think fast!" Even as he said the words, an impressive water whip was making its way toward her. Acting swiftly, Katara brought a shield of water in front of her to absorb it. What followed was a rambunctious water-fight that was more play than battle. At the same time, Katara was certain they were both getting a lot out of it, on several levels.

Long ago, Aang had suggested to Sokka that he should _try_ fighting the Fire Nation with playing, and maybe he had a point. At any rate, he seemed to learn much faster when he was having fun. Katara made a mental note to mention that to his other teachers. There was probably little hope of Toph changing her style – earth did tend to be unyielding, after all – but with Iroh, she had a chance.

After this had gone on for a while, Aang used the Octopus form, and while Katara was occupied with several of the "arms," two others wrapped firmly around her wrists and pinned them. This effectively kept Katara from bending, and Aang then merged the remaining arms into one large swath and wrapped it around her from behind. If Katara had really felt herself to be in danger, she might have found a way to escape or lost her temper and caused something unexpected to happen. As it was, however, she simply hung there helplessly as Aang pulled her gently toward him, her feelings a mixture of curiosity and wonder. This was really some impressive bending, and as creative as he was, it probably wouldn't be long before _he_ could teach _her_ some things.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me?" he whispered when she was right in front of him, less than a finger's length away. There was a new tone in his voice, and though Katara couldn't quite identify what it was, she discovered that certain parts of her body reacted to it automatically.

"I think I'm beginning to get it," she managed through a throat that had become suddenly tight. Aang dropped the water and moved toward her, but he paused with his hands halfway outstretched. Katara realized that he didn't know where to touch her while she had so much of her skin exposed; this was a new experience for both of them. She decided to help him out by closing the distance and wrapping her arms around his neck. He encircled her loosely, just under her arms so that the cloth wrapped around her upper body provided a thin buffer between them. The warmth of his body contrasted sharply with the water that swirled around their legs.

"I guess you didn't really need practice after all," said Katara, feeling a certain tension and not knowing any other way to dispel it than through words. Being this close to him right now reminded her of flying on that glider at the Northern Air Temple – it was at once frightening and exhilarating.

"Maybe not with the waterbending," Aang murmured. His gray eyes had darkened from overcast to smoky. "But there's something else I'd like to work on." With that, he bent toward her and kissed her. Normally, Aang was incredibly gentle, but this kiss was unusually hungry, and Katara quickly lost herself in it. When he released her lips, an endless moment later, he slid his face along hers to rest on her shoulder, and the feel of his breath on her sensitive skin in that area threatened to drive her crazy.

"If you don't mind my saying so," she breathed, "you don't need to work on that, either." Aang chuckled into her ear and began placing soft kisses along her neck. Katara enjoyed it, but something inside of her made her pull away after a few seconds. Aang allowed her to put a little distance between them, but he looked at her with confusion.

"If we're going to do this, I think we should get dressed first," she explained. As much as she wanted him near her, she also knew she wasn't quite ready for feeling almost naked while engaging in this kind of activity.

They dressed quickly and sat on the shore opposite the camp, gradually exploring each other with hands and mouth until the sun was high.

They almost forgot to collect the water and bring it back.

***

A crowd had gathered on the plaza in front of the Fire Nation Palace. There was an excited hum in the air, underscoring the buzz of conversation. There were plenty of rumors regarding the reason the citizens of the capital city had been invited (perhaps summoned was a better word) here today, but nobody outside of the palace knew for sure.

Finally, Firelord Ozai emerged onto the dais before his people, followed closely by his daughter. He merely had to stand there, looking down at everyone, to get complete silence from the throng.

"Today marks the beginning of a new age in the history of the Fire Nation," he announced in a booming voice. "Today, we take our rightful place as leaders of the world. For more than a century, we and our ancestors have been planning for this, and we now embark upon the final stage of our long journey." The Firelord gestured behind him, and four fire sages came forward.

"One hundred years ago, our grandfather, Firelord Sozin, used the power of a comet to defeat the Air Nomads," the Firelord continued. "In his honor, we have named the phenomenon Sozin's Comet, and in a few weeks, it will come again. This time, we will use the strength it grants us to gain dominion over the Earth Kingdom, once and for all!" Loud cheering greeted this pronouncement. While he waited for the noise to subside, Ozai removed the fire-shaped crown from his head and handed it to one of the fire sages.

"As of this day, I am no longer the Firelord," he resumed, abandoning the royal "we" for the moment. There was silence, followed by a low murmur of confusion, but Ozai didn't allow that to persist. "Instead, I shall rule the world, fulfilling the destiny of the royal house of the Fire Nation." More murmuring rose and fell through the crowd as Ozai knelt upon the dais, allowing the fire sages to reach his head. One of them brought forth the new crown that Ozai himself had commissioned from the finest goldsmith in the nation had created it. Its outstretched wings and arching beak gleamed powerfully in the sunlight. The fire sage uttered a series of formal words as he placed the immortal fire symbol on Ozai's head. When the weight rested firmly on his brow, he rose to his feet once more.

"I stand before you now as the Phoenix King!" he proclaimed to a round of thunderous applause. He smiled benevolently, basking in the adulation of his people. "The glory of fire will consume the world and never die. Even now, I am making preparations to leave for Ba Sing Se. The great city that Princess Azula took from within, the one that stood for so long as a symbol of Earth Kingdom resistance, shall now serve as my seat of power. I go to solidify our control of the city and use it to extend our dominion throughout the world.

"However, I would not leave you, my loyal subjects, without leadership. As I move on to the glorious destiny that has been laid out before me and all of us, my daughter will step up to take my place." Ozai signaled again, stepping to the side as Azula came forward. She got onto her knees and bowed her head in acknowledgement of the honor that was being bestowed upon her. A fire sage spoke the ancient, ceremonial words and placed the crown into her topknot. She stood again while the crowd remained in hushed excitement. This was truly an historic day, as no woman in the Fire Nation's long history had ever been crowned Firelord. However, since Ozai's brother and son had been declared traitors, there seemed to be no other clear option for succession.

"I present to you…Firelord Azula," announced Ozai, making a grand, sweeping gesture with one arm. "Obey her as you would me. I am leaving your fate in her very capable hands. May she reign long and well." Another chorus of cheers rose up as Azula came forward to the edge of the dais.

"People of the caldera," she addressed her new subjects, her voice clear and strong. "Thank you for your welcome of me as your new leader today. I also greet all citizens throughout the Fire Nation. I swear that I will use all of my energy and resources to follow the path set by my father. Under his guidance, I will lead the Fire Nation to its greatest glory yet, finally fulfilling the destiny foreseen by my grandfather and great-grandfather. You will all be my partners on this triumphant quest." She raised her hands to the crowd dramatically, and they responded enthusiastically.

With that, the formalities were concluded, and the Phoenix King and the new Firelord returned to the deep shadows within the palace.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" Azula asked her father once they were alone. This was not the first time the question had been posed, but of course, it wouldn't do to show uncertainty before their subjects.

"Absolutely," replied Ozai with unshakeable confidence. "I must take my place in history, and you are the only one I can trust to lead the Fire Nation in my absence."

"Thank you, Father," Azula bowed her head in gratitude. "But the Avatar is still out there, somewhere, no doubt planning to overthrow us. Do you have a plan?"

"Even the Avatar cannot stop us now," Ozai brushed the concern aside with a wave of his hand. "He has no armies left, only a small group of followers that can't possibly pose a threat. When the comet returns, we will be more powerful than ever, and all will fall before us like grass before the fire."

"Zuko is with him," Azula reminded cautiously. Ozai's face hardened immediately, and when he spoke, his voice was tight with barely suppressed anger.

"I have no son," he snapped. "Do not mention that name in my presence again."

"Yes, Father. I was only thinking that the Avatar might know of our plans."

"I tell you, it doesn't matter. He can't stand against us now. You sound like you're having second thoughts. Don't make me regret the trust I'm placing in you."

"Of course not," said Azula quickly. "I will be worthy." She bowed her head again, and the two of them held that pose for several heartbeats. At last, Ozai nodded with satisfaction.

"You will," he agreed. "Now, we both have duties to attend to." Azula nodded, and father and daughter parted.

***

Zuko was hungry. He'd stretched out his food supplies as long as he could, supplementing with ripe fruits and other edible plants he'd found along the way. He was very glad that he'd learned so much about surviving in a natural environment from Aang and the others, but he was now completely out of supplies.

Although he was mostly trying to avoid settlements, he had already ventured into a town once, purchasing some meat (not being much of a hunter) and investing in a new hat to keep the sun off of his face. He could also keep some of his features in shadow that way, but just to be on the safe side, he bent down beside the stream leading into the village ahead. He streaked mud across his face to blur the distinctive scar, hoping no one would recognize him.

As he'd expected, the village was too small to be of much interest to the Fire Nation, and there was no sign of soldiers. He found a bakery, deciding it would have to do. He didn't want to linger long enough to find places that would sell fruit, meat, and grain. He lay a few of his rectangular coins on the counter.

"Do you accept Fire Nation money?" he asked quietly to the woman running the shop. She was probably the wife of the baker, who was no doubt busy with his ovens in the back.

"Don't have much choice these days," she remarked, and though she was trying to keep her tone neutral, the resentment was still evident in her voice. "What'll you have?"

"Two loaves of dark bread, please." Zuko felt the acid in his empty stomach rising when he remembered that there had been a time when he actually wanted a part of subjugating these people, of bringing about Fire Nation domination.

_Did I really want people to hate and fear me? _he asked himself. This journey had been a time of difficult questions. _No. That was why I never really fit in at home, especially when I came back after seeing…._

"You aren't from around here?" It was more a statement than a question.

"Just passing through." Zuko hesitated, then decided to take a chance. "I'm on my way to a fishing village south of Chameleon Bay. Am I going the right way?"

"Yep. Just follow the path there, and you should get to the shore in two or three days," she said as she wrapped his order. "You should have a good view from there."

"View?"

"Of the airships." The woman handed him the bundles and proceeded to make change. "We just got word yesterday. The Phoenix King is coming."

"The Phoenix King?" Zuko tucked the first loaf away in his pack and reached for the second.

"He used to be known as Firelord Ozai," the woman explained, and the second loaf fell from Zuko's suddenly nerveless fingers. As he bent to pick it up, he used the distraction to regain control of himself. Fortunately, the woman didn't seem to notice and continued her narration.

"It seems he declared himself lord of the whole world and calls himself the Phoenix King," she went on. "He'll be coming soon to take the throne in Ba Sing Se."

"I see," Zuko replied evenly, collecting his change. "Well, thank you."

As he continued on his way toward the sea, Zuko was troubled. He hoped that the others would manage to take Ba Sing Se back before his father arrived, but would they be able to hold it? Would Aang end up facing him there? If Aang didn't leave the city, could Zuko make it there before the comet?

So many questions, and only one thing was certain – he had to find his mother and get her away from the coast.

--

Author's Note: The show doesn't really have anyone getting sunburned, but it seemed logical enough, and I liked the thought of Aang with a tan. I stuffed a lot into this chapter, so I hope you all enjoyed it.

Review responses:

musiclover9419: I know the discussion of elements was a bit of a diversion from the main story, but one of the advantages of writing fanfiction is that I get the opportunity to slip in some of my philosophy and random thoughts from time to time. I just hope others find them as interesting as I do.

Tetsu Dienonychus: You actually commented on all three scenes, and I'm delighted to find that you enjoyed them all! I'm thinking about the awkward/humor potential, and I do find myself struggling mentally with exactly how sexual to make this story. I don't want sex to take over the plot, but at the same time, with characters these ages, it has to be an issue.

Natsuki: You have a number of valid points, but I was mostly focusing on water and fire and didn't want the entire chapter to be about elemental philosophy. Certainly, lightning seeks the ground, but it's just as likely to jump from cloud to cloud, and I doubt the characters understand the concept of positive and negative charges.

karenicae: Zuko will find his mother soon. I am going Toko with this; you'll just have to wait to see how far it will go. Tokka has some charm, but I don't think Sokka would ever really feel comfortable with a bender that powerful. Zuko is emotionally stunted enough that he's closer to the same place as Toph.

chocolatecoveredbananacheese: Life's been good, but very busy. How about you?

Atem's Sister Atea: Thank you. The fire-water balance was something that occurred to me, and I just had to include it, even though it didn't directly relate to the plot. I know that people who learn languages start learning them faster after the second or third, and I thought the same might apply to bending.

Amber Pegasus: I'm not sure what "grad chapter" means, but I'll take it as a compliment.:)

Halogazer: Thanks; the elemental discussion seemed to resonate with a lot of people. I did like some of The Firebending Masters, but I thought the concepts could have been just as easily presented without an entire episode devoted to Aang taking a field trip with Zuko. I'll be sprinkling the ideas around.

blue-kataang: Thanks!

TymofeY: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. One of the bright spots of post-DOBS Season 3 was definitely Zuko trying to give himself advice as other people, and I just had to dabble in it myself.


	22. Chapter 22: Answers

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I apologize to those of you who like the action scenes. I had thought to get to one by now, but there was more story to tell than I anticipated. I'm also starting to think that this will be even longer than the 30 chapters I predicted a little while ago.

**Answers**

Sokka called everyone together as the group drew closer to Ba Sing Se. It was time for a strategy meeting.

"We're going to run out of mountains soon," he informed everyone. He spread out one of his maps to show them. "Probably tomorrow. When that happens, we'll have to cross open land and the river that flows into Chameleon Bay to get to Ba Sing Se."

"I'm guessing that means no more training for a while?" Aang suggested.

"Exactly," Sokka confirmed. "We'll have to travel as quickly as possible and at night. When we camp for the day, we'll find whatever cover we can and set a watch so that nobody can surprise us." He was nervous about this stretch of the journey, but he had decided to do his best not to reveal that to the others. Misery might love company, but there was no use in making everybody jumpy. Besides, they could probably figure out on their own that being in the open for extended periods was dangerous for all of them.

"Well, it's a good thing the nights are getting longer," Suki commented. "That should give us a fair amount of travel time."

"How long do you think it will take to get there?" wondered Katara.

"If we make good time, about three days should get us to…" Sokka just barely kept himself from saying "the outer walls." "To where the walls used to be," he concluded.

"I vote we put them back up as soon as we've got the city back," said Toph angrily, and Sokka could appreciate her confidence, even if he didn't share it. A pessimist by nature, he didn't truly believe that their dozen people plus a handful of master benders and a master swordsman could wrest an entire city from a company or so of firebenders and some traitorous earthbenders. Azula had brought some of the Dai Li to the Fire Nation, but she must have left many here.

"I need to disband the Dai Li," Aang remarked solemnly, almost as though he had read Sokka's thoughts. "It's my responsibility."

"Why you?" demanded Katara. "If anyone, I'd think it would be the Earth King's job."

"If he ever shows up again," Toph interjected doubtfully. Privately, Sokka thought that the Earth King was far from being an ideal ruler. However, the throne was rightfully his, and with access to the right advisors and complete information, it was possible that he would improve in time.

"Avatar Kyoshi created the Dai Li," Aang explained. "It's one of those things I learned when I walked the Spirit World a few months ago. At the time, she did it as a compromise, to settle a dispute, but she admitted later that it had been a mistake. They were supposed to guard the cultural heritage of the city, but instead, they became an elite group of earthbenders who used their power to control the population and keep information from them. It's time for that to end."

Aang fell silent while everyone else stared at him. Katara slipped an arm around Aang's shoulders and lay her head against his, as if to tell him that he would not have to face these things alone. Watching them, Sokka had to swallow down a lump forming in his throat. Until this moment, it hadn't seemed real that he might soon be handing off his sister to someone else to take care of. He quickly shrugged off the feeling, though. This was not the time for sentiment.

"Remind me to ask you for more details about that trip sometime," he said aloud. "It sounds like you picked up some useful stuff."

"What was the main thing you learned?" Katara asked Aang.

"Not what I expected," he told her. "I learned that the past Avatars had flaws, and they made mistakes. Just like me. Being the Avatar doesn't make you perfect."

"Well, that's depressing," Toph commented ruefully.

"Not really," Aang contradicted. "Actually, it makes me feel a lot better. I kept thinking I was falling short somehow, screwing up everything. Maybe because I'm too young for this. But the past few Avatars showed me that it was really their mistakes that led to where the world is now. I mean, yeah, I still have to worry that the decisions I make will cause problems, too, but I get to learn from the things they got wrong."

"Learning from another's mistakes is often the best lesson," Iroh put in sagely.

"It helps you avoid making the same mistakes, sure," said Sokka. "But it doesn't keep you from making a whole bunch of new ones."

"Positive as always, Snoozles," Toph chided him.

"What will you put in their place?" wondered Suki.

"What?" Aang responded blankly.

"The Dai Li," she explained. "You can't just disband a big group like that without having some plan to replace it."

"Suki's right," Sokka agreed. "You can't leave the city with nothing but a king and some generals. Somebody still has to run the place." Aang frowned, biting his lip thoughtfully.

"I don't know yet," he said. "But I'll think of something."

"Yes, you will," Katara assured him. "You have some time to think about it."

"I think we should concentrate on re-taking the city before we decide how it should be governed," Iroh added. There was a general nervous giggle as everyone agreed, and they got back to business.

***

Zuko stopped in the middle of the path as the orange light of the lowering sun cast his shadow in front of him. He'd been pushing himself the past two days, traveling both day and night, with only brief stops for food and rest. Now that he was finally here, he belatedly realized that, once again, he'd failed to think ahead.

He was showing up dirty and exhausted to the place where he might finally see his mother for the first time in nearly a decade. He wasn't sure yet whether his timing was good, arriving so close to sunset. Most likely, the fishing boats would be coming in soon, and it was possible he could hide somewhat in the bustle of activity. On the other hands, whatever shops the village might boast would be closing up for the night, limiting his options for asking directions. He had no desire to be knocking on doors after dark.

On top of all of this, Zuko had to add the problem that he didn't quite know how to ask about Princess Ursa. It was unlikely she'd be going by that name, and he had no idea how she might be making her living. He couldn't just look around or peek into windows – not only was it unseemly, but such behavior would certainly draw more attention than he wanted.

Undecided, Zuko wandered to the seashore, a little surprised to find that the salt tang in the air and the sound of the waves made him feel more comfortable. The miles of shoreline were among the few things he missed about his homeland. Aside from that, those years he'd spent at sea had no doubt had an impact on him.

When he reached the beach, he saw a group of women rolling up fishing nets. They probably spent their day mending the nets and were packing everything up for the night. One looked up and noticed him.

"Can we help you with something, young man?" she asked.

"I'm just traveling through," Zuko hedged. Several of the other women were lighting lanterns. "I was wondering if I could find a place to spend the night." It was the only thing he could think of. Suddenly, he met the gaze of one of the women, and he stopped short, realizing that he wouldn't have to ask awkward questions after all. The person he was looking for was right here. Her face was shadowed, but he would always recognize those eyes.

The woman frowned as though wondering why he was staring at her so intently, then her eyes widened. Zuko didn't know what to do or say, but his mother was wise enough not to give away anything. She bent down to her work again.

"We don't have an inn here, if that's what you mean," said the first woman.

"You can stay with me," offered the other woman quietly, the one who had once been known as Princess Ursa. "I have an extra room, and I can always use some coin, if you have any."

"She's a little strange," whispered another, who seemed much younger than the others. "What respectable woman lives by herself?"

Zuko paid her no attention and accepted his mother's offer. He had a pretty good idea why Ursa would want to live by herself. Neither of them said anything as she led him to a humble house on the edge of town. Once inside, Zuko removed his hat as she lit a couple of lamps. When they faced each other in the better light, he could see that she had more lines on her face and more gray in her hair, but otherwise, she was just as he remembered. Zuko still wasn't sure what to say, but since he was the one most likely to be sure about who the other person was, he decided he'd better speak first.

"Mother," he said simply, putting all of the love and loss she represented to him into that one word.

"Zuko?" Her voice was faint, and she reached out a hand as though afraid she might be seeing a ghost. "Is it really you?"

"Yes, it's me." He paused. He added lamely, "I've changed a lot."

"Yes, you have," she agreed, moving cautiously closer. She reached up a hand to touch his face, and Zuko closed his eyes. Of all of the people in the world, her touch was the one he had most craved ever since he could remember. It was both strange and familiar, and it made him feel like he was home.

"What happened to your face?" she demanded. The scar was still partially obscured with dirt, but that hadn't fooled her. Zuko opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

"Father," he answered bluntly. He couldn't bring himself to go through the entire story right now. His mother didn't seem terribly surprised, but her eyes grew sadder. She went across the room and poured water from a pitcher into a basin. She dipped a cloth into the water, then returned and began washing his face. She was treating him like a child, but then again, that's what he had been when she'd last seen him. He was willing to allow this, for now.

"I'd hoped, after I left…" she trailed off. "I'm sorry."

"I understand. Mom." He was trying out the word again. It had been so long since he'd used it. He needed to think of her that way, though. Not as Princess Ursa or as a refugee or anything else. Just Mom. He couldn't imagine himself ever using the word "Dad" again, so it was nice to have this word back.

"You know?" she whispered in response to his words, looking sharply at him.

"Why you left? Yes. Father told me. He didn't give me too many details, but I already knew more than he thought. I sort of came to find out the whole truth."

Silence reigned for a while, and during the pause, his mom crossed the room again and set down the damp cloth.

"Why don't you sit down?" she invited, and Zuko gratefully sank down onto a mat on the floor. His mom sat down across from him and just regarded him for a while. "How did you find me?"

"I had a little help," he admitted. "Is your head okay?"

"I still get headaches – you know about that?"

"You've walked the Spirit World," Zuko told her, not sure whether she would remember that or not. "It's a long story, but I've made friends with the Avatar. He contacted your grandfather and found out where you were."

"My grandfather?" his mom looked like there was too much hitting her at once, and while Zuko knew how she felt, they didn't have much time to build up to these things.

"Avatar Roku," he clarified.

"Ah." She leaned back slightly. "So you know about that, too."

"That was from Uncle Iroh." When he mentioned his uncle's name, his mother's eyes suddenly lit up.

"I always hoped he would take good care of you," she said.

"He did." Zuko felt his throat tightening when he thought of everything that had passed between him and his uncle. "Better than I knew."

"I'm glad."

"I need to know," Zuko decided to get to the point. "Did you kill Firelord Azulon?"

A shadow crossed his mom's face, but she didn't look surprised that he'd asked the question. She looked at him earnestly.

"You have to understand, I never would have done anything like that if it wasn't important," she insisted, her eyes begging him to believe her.

"I know. You did it to protect me."

His mother bit her lip.

"Did – _he_ – tell you that?" She didn't have to tell Zuko whom she meant.

"He just said he was going to do something terrible, and you came up with a way to stop it." Zuko looked up, then straight into his mother's eyes. "He didn't know that Azula pulled me behind a wall hanging that day. We heard Father ask Grandfather to make him the heir to the throne."

"Oh, Zuko!" his mom breathed.

"I left soon after that," Zuko went on. "Azula came to my room later and said that Father was going to kill me because _his_ father had ordered him to. Late that night, you came to say good-bye. In the morning, you were gone, and Grandfather was dead." Zuko shrugged. "When Father told me a few more things on the day of the eclipse, it wasn't that hard to put it all together."

His mom nodded slowly, finishing the gesture with her head down.

"I never thought I could take another person's life," she said, lines of old pain settling into her face. "But to save my son, I learned that I could. I'm not proud of it."

"How did you do it?"

"Poison, of course. A few drops of concentrated white lotus juice, and he died in his sleep."

Now it was Zuko's turn to nod. There were so many things he still wanted to ask her, but maybe the rest could wait.

"We need to get out of here," he said instead.

"What? Why?"

"Father's coming, with a fleet of airships."

"Airships…" she repeated faintly, and Zuko wondered whether she knew about them yet. He'd grown so used to seeing them that he'd forgotten that the Fire Nation hadn't sent them everywhere.

"They use hot air to make them light enough to fly," he explained. "We shouldn't be here when they arrive. Besides, I need to get to Ba Sing Se as soon as possible."

"What about the people here?" his mom demanded.

"There's nothing we can do for them. We can't explain how we know danger is coming. The best thing we can do for everybody is get to Ba Sing Se and help the Avatar to defeat the Firelord, or the Phoenix King, or whatever he's calling himself."

For a little while, his mother stared as though she were not really seeing anything. Finally, she inclined her head.

"You're right. We should go, before dawn if we can."

"I'm going to need some sleep," admitted Zuko. "I gave up a lot of that to get here faster."

"We'll both sleep." His mom smiled. "But first, are you hungry?" Zuko grinned back, remembering that she would sometimes shoo the servants out of the kitchen to make something herself, much to the dismay of the head cook and chief steward. She'd always enjoyed cooking, and looking back on it, that should have been a sign that her upbringing hadn't been that of a princess. Having her offer him a meal took him back to his childhood.

"Definitely," he told her.

--

Author's Note: Well, I think I succeeded in making this reasonably different from Destiny's Call. Of course, I now have the advantage of additional information from the third season.

Review responses:

Kelev: Well, we have Ursa at last. As for her seeing Ozai again…you'll just have to wait and see.

musiclover9419: I'm afraid that Azula will not go insane in this story. I have other plans for her.

The Overseer: Yes, exactly. Ozai made this grand proclamation, but only his army seemed to be there. I didn't think it was as effective as it could have been. I also don't get why Azula's coronation was apparently delayed a few days. Wouldn't Ozai want to make sure that was taken care of before he left?

Tetsu Dienonychus: Actually, Season 3 was one episode longer than the other seasons. They just chose to waste time on filler episodes like The Painted Lady and Ember Island Players instead of delving into the deeper plot options. Don't ask me why.

karenicae: Oh, no, we've got a lot to cover before any sort of final battle can take place. There will be a few twists in the next couple of chapters, though.

arizony: Well, I'm nearly speechless at your review. I've had people say that I portray Sokka a little too positively, but I feel too many authors focus on the fact that he's often used as comic relief at the expense of who he really is. You're right; he's not stupid. Bad things just tend to happen to him.

Tested Faythe: I'm glad you finally decided to settle in and read my longest fanfiction work yet. At least some of those words were devoted to author notes and review responses, so maybe it wasn't so bad.:) I'm also happy that you're catching this story as it's still being written.

Atem's Sister Atea: Great, thanks!

Amber Pegasus: I hope this helped with your suspense a little, although there's a lot more yet to happen.

Halogazer: You know, 13 has been the age of adulthood in most human societies through history, for the simple reason that most people have reached biological sexual maturity by then. I also always had the feeling Air Nomads would be sort of open about their sexuality.


	23. Chapter 23: Escape

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: If you like action scenes, here's a little one to tide you over until Ba Sing Se.

**Escape**

"Aang!"

That one syllable was all it took for Aang to become instantly awake, grabbing his glider-staff and rolling off of Appa's leg in one, smooth movement. It had been Katara's voice, using a very insistent tone, and as soon as his eyes adjusted to the sunlight, he understood why.

Approximately 20 people in Fire Nation uniforms had evidently come upon them while most of the group slept. Several of the attackers were already down, but the friends he could see were each fighting three or four at a time while Kyoshi Warriors filed sleepily out of the rock formations Toph and Aang had made for both shelter and camouflage. It didn't appear to have fooled the soldiers, though.

The only fortunate thing was that only about half of the soldiers were using firebending. The rest had various weapons, which meant they couldn't do much unless they got close. Aang planted his foot, using the earth to knock a few of the ones pressing Katara off of their feet. As he made his way forward, he alternated fire and air attacks, noting that the Kyoshi Warriors were focusing on the men with weapons, ducking under their guards to lash out with feet and bare hands.

_We have _got_ to get those girls some weapons, _he reflected. Despite being unarmed, however, the young ladies were doing remarkably well, hamstringing or otherwise incapacitating their opponents, at least temporarily. It reminded Aang a little of seeing Ty Lee at work.

Meanwhile, Momo was flitting over the scene, picking up any dropped spears and swords and carrying them out of reach. Behind him, Aang heard Appa yawn and hoped the large bison would stay where he was for the moment. Sokka and Suki stood back to back, fending off their assailants as best they could. Suki was wielding Sokka's bone scimitar, but she was clearly untrained with it, and her attacks were clumsy.

Aang cleared a path to the pair. The odds were evening up considerably, but he could already see reinforcements coming. With their back to the river like this, there was nowhere to go but up.

"Get everyone to Appa!" he shouted. "I'll catch up."

"I thought –" Suki paused to twist and kick someone in the stomach. The armor protected the soldier from most of the impact, but it still forced him backward. "—Appa couldn't carry all of us."

Aang was busy swinging around with his staff, keeping the soldiers at bay.

"He can for a little while," he told her.

"We just need to get out of sight," Sokka agreed. He raised his voice. "Fall back!" He and Suki backed up a few steps before turning to run to Appa, the Kyoshi Warriors disengaging and following suit. Toph, Aang, and Katara remained for a few breaths more, keeping the Fire Nation occupied while giving the others time to mount. Finally, at Aang's insistence, Katara and Toph turned away also. After creating one last dust cloud, Aang snapped open his glider and took off, swiftly leaving the ground behind. Appa was already climbing, and Aang waited until he was leveling off before he closed his glider and dropped neatly into the middle of the saddle. Katara made her way over and hugged him.

"I don't want to wake up like that again," he told her. This wasn't the first time they'd awaked to an attack during their travels, but he didn't think he'd ever get used to it, and he certainly didn't want to.

"Me neither," she replied fervently.

"How long can we stay up here?" Sokka shouted from his seat on Appa's head. Aang peered down at the red shapes that were steadily getting smaller.

"I think half an hour should be okay," he called back.

"Try to find some cover before we land," Katara instructed.

"Yeah, like I wouldn't have thought of that," said Sokka testily.

"And hope we don't pass any airships," Aang added. There was a tense pause.

"That's a cheery thought," returned Sokka in his usual, sarcastic tone. As he took another look below them, Aang couldn't help but think that at least they'd found a quick and easy way across the river.

Of course, he also realized that Sokka would probably say it hadn't been all that easy.

***

About two hours before dawn, Zuko and his mother returned to the shore. Zuko had been a little surprised to discover that his mother owned a boat, but when he commented on it, she'd merely shrugged.

"Everybody here owns a boat," she'd said by way of explanation. Now they loaded it with some supplies and shoved it out into the water. Zuko looked up nervously at the silhouette of the watchtower a few miles away. He hadn't noticed that earlier, but the spot near the entrance to Chameleon Bay was obviously a strategic position, and it made sense that someone would be paying attention to it. Even though it and the others like it that were no doubt posted at intervals along the coast must have been hastily constructed, they were functional enough to spot anything crossing the water.

"What if they see us?" he asked as he jumped into the boat after his mother.

"They're not going to pay attention to one, small fishing boat," she replied confidently. "A lot of fishermen will be heading out soon, anyway. They'll just think we're one getting out early." That certainly explained the nets and fishing poles she'd insisted they bring. They'd probably leave most of that gear with the boat when they beached it, but it occurred to Zuko that it might not be a bad idea to bring a pole or two along. He remembered with some chagrin his past attempts to catch fish with just a stick, and it wasn't an experience he'd like to repeat.

After a brief discussion, his mom had assured Zuko that crossing Chameleon Bay by boat would be the fastest way of getting to Ba Sing Se. They'd have to go north up the coast a little bit, then cut across the bay. They didn't have a way to exactly pinpoint their location for landing, but this method should save them several days that would otherwise have to be spent circling the water body and then finding a place to cross the river. Unfortunately, the current of the river feeding into the bay was too strong to go upstream with any speed, so they'd have to walk the rest of the way.

Even so, as Zuko did some quick calculations in his head, he estimated that they might reach the city at about the same time as Aang and the others, if they were on their planned schedule.

Once they were both settled in, Zuko locked the oars and began pulling at them. He was certain that his mother was perfectly capable of doing this – she looked a good deal tougher than he remembered, and her hands were now callused from probably just such an activity – but he was younger and stronger than she was and reasoned that he ought to start off. If he got tired, she could take over for a while.

It was actually strangely peaceful, rowing along the calm water. There was no sound but the waves and the rhythmic splashing of the oars, and after a few minutes, the two of them might have been alone in the world. Zuko found that a rather pleasant thought.

Eventually, however, the silence became too much even for him. Besides, he still had so many questions.

"Why didn't you ever tell me Avatar Roku was your grandfather?" he asked in a conversational tone.

"Your father didn't want you to know," she said simply. Sitting in the stern of the boat, she was gazing outward, but Zuko didn't know whether she was really seeing the scenery or whether her thoughts were elsewhere. "Either of you. He worried that you might have doubts about your duties if you knew."

"He was right," replied Zuko, thinking back on some of the things he'd seen, heard, and done. "But I was having doubts even before I found out." Finally, his mom turned to look at him directly, and she smiled. It was a sad, little smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"I'm glad," she told him.

"So how did the granddaughter of the Avatar end up with the grandson of the Firelord who killed him?" Zuko pursued the question that had really been burning inside of him.

"What?" Her expression indicated that his mom was truly surprised and taken aback by the question.

"Killed, allowed to die…it's about the same, isn't it?" Zuko paused in both his words and his rowing while he scrutinized her closely. "You didn't know?"

"No. How did you…?"

"It's in Sozin's memoirs. In the library."

"Ah yes. Those documents are closely guarded."

"Not as closely as they used to be."

Both of them fell silent again.

"I thought he died when the volcano on his island erupted," suggested Zuko's mom hesitantly.

"He did," Zuko confirmed. "Sozin actually came to help Roku, at first. They hadn't seen each other in years. Then Sozin…I don't know, changed his mind or something. He could have saved Roku, but he flew off on his dragon and let Roku die in the poison gas."

"I see." His mother bit her lip, then shook her head. "Well, I guess that brings us back to your original question."

"I'm just curious," Zuko shrugged. "The more I think about you and…my father, the less sense it makes."

"I know exactly what you mean," his mom sighed. "All right. It's time you knew. I didn't know Avatar Roku, of course; I hardly knew my father, his son. My father was in his seventies when I was born. I didn't even know the Avatar had been my grandfather until I was in my teens. It wasn't something that my parents wanted to advertise. The Avatar wasn't exactly the most popular person in my lifetime. I mean, your grandfather was hunting down the new one, whoever it was. He suspected that the wiping out of the Air Nomads had somehow missed him."

"He was right about that," remarked Zuko. His mother inclined her head and continued.

"I didn't understand it then, but we were keeping a low profile. Somehow, though, Firelord Azulon found out. He summoned me to the palace when I was 21. And when the Firelord calls you, you come."

Zuko looked at her piercingly, and she smiled faintly.

"You're right, of course," she acknowledged. "I could have run away. In fact, when I found that I was to be Ozai's bride, I very nearly did. It seems that Firelord Azulon wished to join his bloodline with that of Avatar Roku. I'm not certain why. He didn't exactly make my lineage common knowledge, so I don't think he was trying to create the illusion that the two old friends were being reunited through their descendants. Maybe he just hoped to generate the strongest grandchildren possible."

"Maybe, at some level, he thought he could make up for the wrongs done by his father." Zuko could certainly identify with that concept, although when he remembered the reason his mother had left in the first place, he had to admit that he found it hard to believe of his grandfather.

"Whatever the reason, he was determined to marry me to his second son, and I have no doubt that he wanted there to be children. Iroh was already a widower by then and had only the one son. It's dangerous for any royal family to be so limited. If anything happened to Lu Ten—"

"Which, of course, it did," Zuko interrupted. His mother nodded solemnly.

"There would have been no clear successor after Iroh and Ozai passed on," she finished. "Anyway, as I said, I almost ran away. I was even packed, but Roku came to me in a dream. He told me that I needed to marry the prince because we would have a very special son. It was this son's destiny to join forces with the new Avatar, when he returned, and help to bring peace and balance back to the world."

Zuko could only stare at her for a long moment, trying to wrap his mind around what she was saying. The oars lay forgotten in his loosened grip, moved only by the gentle action of the waves. Finally, he licked his lips and started the boat moving again.

"How am I supposed to do that?" he asked from a throat gone suddenly dry. All this time, he'd thought he was making the decisions, but in a way, it had already been decided for him. No wonder he had never felt happy or satisfied while he was fighting against what he was supposed to do. On the one hand, this new knowledge made him feel a little helpless, but on the other hand, it was nice to know that he had been right about choosing his new path on the day of the eclipse.

"You must become the Firelord," she answered. "Only then will you have the power to end this war and reach out to the other nations."

"But…I've been disowned," he protested.

"You must help the Avatar to defeat Azula and your father," Zuko's mom told him earnestly. "With the Avatar's support, you can take the throne."

"If Father is coming here as The Phoenix King, who's going to run the Fire Nation?" Zuko wondered aloud.

"Azula, probably. She may even have already been declared the new Firelord."

Zuko thought the situation over. If that were true, it presented a problem for his taking the throne. A coronation was an almost holy ceremony to his people, and undoing that wouldn't be easy. He didn't think it would be too hard to get the common people on his side, but making sure that the court and guards and military accepted his authority would be something else again. Certainly, the claim he had as firstborn son was legitimate, but still….

Aside from all of that, Zuko wasn't even sure he wanted the throne anymore. He'd sort of felt like he was leaving all such ambition behind when he'd broken from his father and gone off to find Avatar Aang. Now, however, he saw that he had continued his failing of not thinking things through to their logical conclusion. Clearly, the Fire Nation could not be left leaderless. Zuko, his mother, and everyone in the Avatar's circle would agree that neither Ozai nor Azula could remain in the position of Firelord once the Avatar prevailed over them, assuming that he did.

Zuko's first choice to fill the role would be Iroh, but he was an old man and had no living children. Even if he accepted, which Zuko frankly doubted he would, there would need to be a clear successor. Otherwise, the nation would descend into civil war that could last generations as distant relatives fought for dominance. The rest of the world might be content with such a result – if the Fire Nation was busy fighting itself, it wouldn't have any time or energy to affect other nations – but Zuko couldn't let that happen. Besides the loss of innocent lives that would likely result, he still felt a certain affection for his homeland and didn't want it to be destroyed from within. He also suspected that Aang wouldn't like to leave a nation in turmoil. Having the advantage of a longer perspective than most, Aang remembered when the nations were getting along and had hope that it could happen again.

Of course, Zuko now knew that the peace Aang recalled was a façade, since Zuko's ancestors were already colonizing the Earth Kingdom and planning to wipe out the airbenders. Still, Aang's hope and optimism were contagious and had even infected Zuko through their association.

He sighed heavily. His mother was right. This was his destiny and his duty, and there was no way to avoid it. Whether he wanted to or not, he had to become the Firelord when the dust settled. He supposed he would have to make sure to have some children, too, for the reasons already given. However, he thought he could postpone that consideration until more immediate concerns were addressed.

For the first time, Zuko thought he might have an inkling of how Aang must have felt the first time he was told he was the Avatar.

--

Author's Note: A lot of time spent on Zuko again as everyone converges for the beginning of the end.

Review responses:

airnaruto45: I'm a mother of two, both boys. I am not planning on any spine-ripping, but I have toyed with the idea of having Katara kill someone by pulling the water out of their body. I thought that might be a little dark for her, though.

musiclover9419: I have to say that I'm really enjoying some of the assumptions people have based on the actual show. I'm going to throw a bit of wrench in there, either in the next chapter or the one after. I will just say that an insane Azula wouldn't work for what I'm going to do.

Monte-chan: All 22 chapters at once? That's impressive. The parts you liked about EIP were the same ones I enjoyed, plus Sokka giving his actor jokes. I've always envisioned that Sokka could be a huge hypocrite about having his own relationship but being over-protective of Katara in similar circumstances.

The Overseer: All good things must come to an end, but this one has a ways to go.

Tetsu Dienonychus: I'm happy that no one seems to mind that I'm stretching this out. I'm also very glad that you think I topped the Zuko-Ursa reunion from Destiny's Call. I'm trying to avoid covering the same territory as that story as much as possible, but sometimes, I just can't.

Katsumara: Thank you so much for your series of thoughtful reviews. I obviously can't respond to everything, but I will say that I considered having Zuko search for a little while, but I decided that was too boring and had him come across his mother by accident. Or destiny.:)

karenicae: Was this exciting enough? I didn't want the trip to Ba Sing Se to be too uneventful, especially since I spent some time showing that Sokka was worried about them not having cover for this leg of the journey.

Atem's Sister Atea: Thank you; I shall continue to do my best to provide quality entertainment.

Amber Pegasus: Good; thank you.


	24. Chapter 24: The Fallen City

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Happy birthday, America! Hope everyone had a good weekend. I did!

**The Fallen City**

Iroh's feet and legs were killing him by the time he caught his first glimpse of Ba Sing Se. More accurately, he saw the bustle of Fire Nation personnel and machinery that surrounded the city, moving freely where the walls once were. Iroh winced as he saw, even from a distance, the farm fields and pastures torn up by all of the traffic back and forth. Although Iroh himself had once broken through the outer wall and attempted to take the city, the sight of the great jewel of the Earth Kingdom laid open like a gutted animal felt indescribably wrong to him.

He sighed, focusing on the more immediate issues of pain and discomfort. He was in much better shape than he had been just a few months ago, but he was convinced that the human body was simply not meant for this kind of thing. Nobody else was complaining, however, and he had the idea that this group would not be as indulgent as his nephew, so he kept his suffering to himself. Among them, only Aang also seemed to be chafing at the mode of travel, not being used to keeping his feet on the ground so much. He at least was able to jump on his glider from time to time to act as a scout, although even that activity had been curtailed since the city came into view.

Sokka signaled a halt, and Iroh nearly collapsed in relief. Only the vestiges of his pride kept him upright. One second later, he was grateful that he had not given in to weakness because Sokka turned to him and spoke.

"Do you know where exactly the Masters will be meeting?" he asked. "Even without the walls, it's a big city."

Iroh thought it over. The message had not been very specific, but there were certain signals the Old Masters used, and the number of places they could reasonably hide was limited. He looked around carefully. He was sure they'd be gathering on the south side, which limited the options.

"There," he pointed off to his right. There was a tumbled mass of stone that might have been the remnants of inner city walls or buildings carelessly thrown down. However, Iroh recognized the signature of a master earthbender making a shelter while disguising it as a heap of rock. "That pile of large rock to the south."

"Can't Toph tell where they are? She's met at least one of them before," Katara suggested, but the blind earthbender shook her head.

"It's too far away, and there's too much going on," she explained. "When we get closer, I should be able to get us to the right spot quickly."

"I'll go check it out," Aang volunteered, but Sokka stepped forward and stopped him.

"We're too close to the city," the young warrior said with a note of authority. "We can't risk you being seen right now." Aang looked disappointed, but he nodded resignedly. Iroh had marveled at the way Sokka had taken charge of this group. When there had been only six of them, there hadn't been so much need for leadership, but when the Kyoshi Warriors had joined them, Sokka had stepped up to give everyone direction. Young as he was, Sokka certainly had the intelligence and vision required of a good leader, yet he was also willing to listen to those around him and take suggestions. From some things Katara had said, he might not always have been this way, but Sokka currently exhibited an excellent combination of leadership traits.

"Well, I guess we might as well find a place to wait out the rest of the day," Suki declared. "I don't think we'll want to go marching across the plain in broad daylight."

Nobody argued that. Even if they weren't as footsore as Iroh, the interruption of their rest the previous day combined with walking all of the following night and the final push this morning to get within sight of the city had made everyone tired and edgy.

Aang and Toph swiftly moved to make their own heap of rock and earth to shelter the group. When it was done, most went inside, and Iroh gratefully slumped down onto the ground. Packed dirt wasn't the most comfortable place to rest, but it was far better than staying on his feet. Aang remained at the entrance, gazing out at the landscape, and Iroh wondered what he was thinking. Katara came over to Iroh and knelt in front of him.

"You know, I never thanked you," she said quietly. "For helping us to get out of Ba Sing Se." She inclined her head toward Aang, and Iroh lowered his gaze. He remembered well enough how he'd held off Azula and her tame earthbenders long enough for Katara to escape with Aang's body. That act had led to his capture and imprisonment, but he felt it was worth it.

"Thanks is not necessary," he told her. "It was the right thing to do." He honestly believed that, especially since he felt partly responsible for putting Aang in that situation. Aang would undoubtedly have wanted to find Katara, anyway, but Iroh had practically gift-wrapped him for Azula in his anxiety over Zuko. Iroh was only glad that Katara had found a way to revive the Avatar.

"Maybe, but I just wanted you to know that I appreciate it," she replied. "Thank you. I also owe you an apology."

"You do?" Iroh had no idea what she was talking about now.

"Yes." Katara bowed her head, twisting her hands in front of her. "I was the one who told Azula you and Zuko were in the city. I thought she and her friends were Kyoshi Warriors, and when I saw the two of you in that tea shop…I just panicked. I went back to the palace to tell someone, anyone. They were the first people I saw. If I hadn't blurted out that I'd seen you…" She didn't finish the sentence, but Iroh knew what she meant. That slip had led Azula to invite Iroh and Zuko to the palace, leading to Zuko's capture and his choice to fight with his sister instead of against her.

On the other hand, if Iroh and Zuko had remained unaware of Azula's presence, the later conquering of the city from within would have taken them by surprise, and they would have found themselves caught in the middle. At this point, it was impossible to say which outcome would have been better. Besides, Zuko would still have gone to face his sister as soon as he found out she was there.

"Anyway, I'm sorry," Katara finished.

"That's all right," he sighed. "I understand. Zuko certainly hadn't given you any reason to trust him before then, and I was always supporting him. You thought we were a threat, instead of in hiding."

"Thank you for understanding," she said, and with that, she rose again and went to join Aang at the entrance to their shelter. She twined her arms around his neck from the side and leaned her head against his, and he slipped an arm loosely around her waist. Both of them, however, continued to look outward rather than at each other, and Iroh suspected they were thinking of what had happened the last time they'd been in this city. All at once, he realized that the two of them had more to face here than firebenders and earthbenders.

As, perhaps, did he.

***

Suki didn't see anything different about the pile of rubble they were stealthily approaching by starlight, but she trusted her companions. She cast a glance toward Toph, for once envying the small girl's indifference to lighting. Toph strode forward confidently, sure of her direction, while the others picked their way carefully to avoid tripping over or bumping into anything.

"There they are," Toph whispered, pointing for those with conventional sight. "Master Piandao's definitely there, and I sense three other men." The others drew close to get more details.

"Are they sleeping?" Sokka asked her.

"Two are moving around," Toph reported. "One of them is Piandao, and the other moves like an earthbender, but he seems really old."

"Bumi!" Aang exclaimed in an undertone.

"The other two might be sleeping," Toph concluded. "They're holding still, anyway."

"How are we going to approach them without being attacked?" Suki wondered. These four men were in enemy territory and had to be on alert. Besides, if everything the others were saying was true, they were master benders (plus a master swordsman), so they definitely weren't people you wanted to startle.

"Easy," answered Aang gaily. "Come here, Momo." The lemur obediently came down to rest on the Avatar's shoulder. Aang whispered to him and pointed toward their destination. Suki still couldn't figure out how much the flying lemur understood. He didn't seem all that bright, but Aang, at least, seemed able to get him to do what he asked.

Momo flew off, disappearing into the rock pile. There was a muffled exclamation, then a scrawny-looking old man with wild hair and a bushy goatee appeared and looked around. Aang ran up to him without hesitating, throwing his arms around him. The others followed more slowly.

"Good to see you again, Aang," said the old man.

"I take it you know each other," Iroh remarked as Aang stepped back again.

"Suki, Iroh, Toph, and Kyoshi Warriors," Sokka intoned with rather excessive formality. "Allow me to present King Bumi of Omashu."

"Yes, well, I'm not really king of much at the moment," Bumi protested. "Considering that the Fire Nation has overrun my city and re-named it New Ozai." He made a face at the name but then grinned as though this did not disturb him too much. Suki saw that he was missing a front tooth, and now that she was closer, she also noticed that one of his eyes was much larger than the other and both contained a wild gleam. His features did not put her at ease, but if the Avatar trusted him, she thought she might as well go along.

"You'll get it back," assured a deep voice, and Suki followed the sound to a tall, dark man who had also emerged from under cover. He wore a sword at his side, and Suki guessed that he must be Piandao.

"Yes, but first things first," said Bumi. "We'll start by taking this city back."

"None of this explains how you seem to know Aang so well," Iroh commented. Aang laughed.

"Oh, Bumi and I go way back," he explained. "See, Bumi is 110 years old. We used to play together when…" he trailed off and looked up at Bumi as though he didn't know how to finish that sentence. Bumi rested a hand affectionately on the boy's shoulder.

"When I was a kid," Bumi finished the thought. "Aang, of course, still is." He winked, which was a rather disconcerting expression on his odd face. "I wish I'd known the trick of preserving youth by freezing yourself."

"I don't think it would work for anyone except the Avatar," Katara answered, stepping up to stand beside Aang. Suki couldn't be sure in this light, but she thought Aang was blushing.

"And I didn't exactly do it on purpose," he added.

"Well, come on in, and we'll finish the introductions," Piandao invited. "It's a little tight, but I think we can manage."

"I'll just add an addition," chuckled Bumi, and with a few movements of his feet and hands, the pile of earth stretched out to the side, and Suki peered in and saw that he had, indeed, created an entire new room.

"You guys go on ahead," Aang urged. "I'll get Appa and Momo settled." He proceeded to earthbend a separate shelter for his bison, who clearly could not fit in with the humans.

"You're a pretty good earthbender," Toph complimented Bumi, and though it didn't sound like high praise, Suki thought she knew the younger girl well enough to realize how hard it was for her to admit even that.

"Well, from what I hear, you're pretty impressive yourself," Bumi remarked in response.

"Yeah, Toph here is the only earthbender I know of who can bend metal," Sokka announced proudly. Suki glanced at Toph, but she didn't seem to react to Sokka's compliment as she might have a few months before. Suki made a mental note of that, in case it became important later.

"Metal? Really?" Bumi's bushy, white eyebrows shot up. "You'll have to teach me that trick."

"What's all the commotion?" complained a voice from inside as the rather large group trooped into the newly enlarged space. Surprisingly, they could all stand up once they got through the entrance, and Suki realized that the ground must have been hollowed out a little to make room for that.

Squinting, Suki saw two men on pallets getting into sitting positions. She didn't recognize either of them. The one who had spoken was balding, with long, white hair beginning at his temples. He had a thin moustache and small goatee and wore layered clothing in shades of blue.

"Master Pakku?" Katara made her way forward and bowed to the man in a manner Suki recognized as being from pupil to master. "I wasn't expecting to see you here." Putting things together, this had to be the waterbender that had trained both Katara and Aang at the North Pole.

The remaining man had a shock of gray hair standing out in all directions, which shadowed narrow eyes. He wore a thin, drooping moustache and bushy goatee on an almost triangular face, and his clothes were a shapeless brown, carelessly draped over his body.

"Master Jeong Jeong!" Aang greeted this last person. "I never thought I'd see you again." He bowed in much the same way Katara just had, although he held his hands in a different position.

"Well met, Avatar Aang," said Jeong Jeong in a low, hoarse voice. He added a respectful nod. "I trust you have now learned the value of control?"

"Oh yes, Master," Aang asserted emphatically.

"I have found him a most ready pupil, General," Iroh informed the other man.

_General? _thought Suki.

"If you're going to call me that, I should address you as General as well," Jeong Jeong retorted, although there was a touch of amusement in his tone. Iroh chuckled.

"I think none of us need stand on ceremony here," he replied. Some rather chaotic introductions followed, as Suki and her warriors, along with Toph, were introduced to the people they didn't know.

"So how are things at the South Pole?" Sokka asked Pakku.

"You'll hardly recognize it," Pakku informed him. "We've built a fortress, a common meeting house, and a bath house, in addition to more comfortable private homes. I'm sure there's been more improvement since I left."

"And how did it go with Gran-Gran?" added Katara with clear curiosity.

"About as well as I expected," he shrugged. "She decked me when she first saw me. You know, she's remarkably strong after all these years."

"What did you do?" Aang wondered.

"Let her, of course. I suppose I deserved it, forcing her to leave her home like that."

"Am I missing something?" Suki murmured to Sokka.

"I'll explain later," he whispered back.

"On the other hand, if she hadn't left, she would never have met and fallen in love with our grandfather," Katara pointed out.

"Indeed, her path brought her two loves," answered Pakku, blue eyes twinkling. "Matters between us have improved, and she's agreed to marry me!" After a stunned pause, Katara squealed and impulsively hugged him.

"How exciting!" she exclaimed while others offered their congratulations.

"Yes," he agreed, laughing. "After 60 years, I finally got her to agree. Ah well, Kana was worth waiting for."

"It must run in the family," Aang remarked, taking Katara into his arms when she let the master waterbender go.

"I didn't make you wait 60 years," she objected, although she returned the embrace. Suki silently applauded Aang finding a subtle way to inform everyone of the new status of his relationship with Katara. Sokka had introduced Suki as his girlfriend, but since everybody here already knew both Aang and Katara, they hadn't had such an obvious opportunity.

"Technically, I waited 100 years for you," he reminded her cheerfully. "I just didn't realize it."

"Well, then let's hope we have another hundred years to spend together." Katara gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as the old men offered good wishes and Sokka made half-strangled noises in his throat. Suki gave him a shove, and he seemed to take that as a cue to say something.

"Does this mean we should start calling you Grandpa?" he asked Pakku.

"Maybe we can work our way up to that," Pakku responded, and with that, they were finally free to get down to the business of planning to take the Earth Kingdom capital back.

--

Author's Note: You know, I don't have much to say about this chapter. Strategizing will be next chapter, and I think they'll actually do battle in the chapter after that.

Review responses:

airnaruto45: Yeah, nice try.

musiclover9419: Thank you!

Tetsu Dienonychus: True, Ursa may have played favorites, and the dream could explain that. Zuko did ask Iroh in the finale if he would take his rightful place as Firelord, but he conceded the position to Zuko. In some respects, I think it would have been interesting to have Iroh followed by Zuko in that.

Katsumara: I don't know what Ozai was like as a kid, but Zuko's memories indicate that there was always something kind of "off" about Azula, so it's not unthinkable for Ozai to have been the same. I'm glad you were surprised by the Fire Nation ambush. I was kind of thinking of the beginning of Avatar Day when I wrote it.

karenicae: There's a small amount of fluff in this chapter.

Atem's Sister Atea: Yes, well, I'm trying to pull everything together in a way that seems reasonable but also fits into the very spiritual world of Avatar.

arizony: If I have to get a complaint, I guess that's the best one I could ask for! Writing in prose does give me an advantage over television because it allows me to get inside the characters' heads in a more thorough way. They don't have to say everything they're thinking to get the idea across.

Amber Pegasus: Indeed there was.


	25. Chapter 25: Four Elements United

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: It wasn't clear from the finale, but I got the impression that Bumi used the eclipse to break free and start on his journey to meet the other Old Masters. I just don't see how he could have re-taken his city in 7 minutes, and who was going to hold onto it after he was gone? Since Sokka, Katara, and Aang pretty well evacuated the city months before, the only residents left were Fire Nation. And the bit about how Kana greeted Pakku was based on something the creators said on the audio commentary for The Avatar State.

**Four Elements United**

Katara was surrounded, surrounded on all sides by shifting earth. Her meager waterbending didn't seem to be any match, but she couldn't, wouldn't give up. She brought all the resources she had into the Octopus form, ready to defend herself and Aang.

Aang, meanwhile, encased himself in the strange, glowing green stones that provided Ba Sing Se with light. Katara didn't know what he was doing and could hardly spare him a glance, but she trusted him. She had to.

Her attention was drawn to him once again when everybody around her suddenly stopped fighting. She looked over her shoulder and saw Aang, rising into the air, the Avatar State glowing through his eyes and tattoos. Katara felt herself smiling slightly at the sight. He had mastered this at last, and she was so proud of him!

Pride and confidence quickly evaporated into horror, however. Lightning flashed, flickering terribly through Aang's body. Katara's mouth opened to scream, but time seemed to have stopped, and she could make no sound. She could only feel the tears running down her face and the aching loss in her heart.

Katara sat bolt upright from her sleeping space, gasping for breath. Struggling to steady her breathing and heart rate, she forced her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the shelter in which she rested. Seeking reassurance, she looked over the lumps of bodies representing her companions and found Aang's familiar form. He had considered sleeping in the separate cover he'd made for Appa and Momo, but Katara was immensely relieved that he was here, where she could see him. As she watched, he murmured and rolled over.

Rubbing a hand across her face, she felt moisture, indicating that she had managed to cry in her sleep. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to close her eyes yet without facing those disturbing images, she quietly got up and made her way to the entrance.

Piandao and one of the Kyoshi Warriors sat there, keeping watch. With so many in their group, it had been simple to devise pairs to keep a lookout while others slept in rotation. Dawn was breaking over the horizon, and Katara was aware that her sleeping patterns were still very irregular, thanks to the oddities of their journey. It would probably remain that way until this war was finally over.

"Are you all right?" the girl asked as Katara stooped to exit their cover.

"I, um…" she answered, trying to give both of them a reassuring smile and gesturing vaguely outside. Let them just think she needed to answer a call of nature.

"Don't go too far," Piandao warned.

"I won't," she assured him, stepping out and taking deep breaths of the air blowing across open land. Not really having anywhere else to go, she was headed toward the place where Appa and Momo rested when she suddenly realized that her excuse for leaving the cave had become the truth. She paused to take care of that before continuing to her destination.

This was not the first time Katara had experienced nightmares about what she had witnessed in Ba Sing Se, but they hadn't bothered her in quite some time. Maybe it was being so close to the city that brought them back.

Katara slipped into the hastily constructed earth structure and lightly stroked Appa's fur. The feel of it, the bison's warm presence, and even his smell were oddly comforting. She'd grown used to him being around.

"This must be hard for you, too, Appa," she whispered. Momo, curled between two of the bison's six feet, raised his head and blinked at her sleepily before returning to slumber. "You haven't been able to fly much lately. Don't worry, though; we'll need you in the air soon."

There had been a great deal of discussion, lasting late into the night, about when and how to attack. They'd agreed to make their move at night, deciding that the disadvantage of the firebenders in the city outweighed the fact that Jeong Jeong and Iroh would have the same problem. They were both stronger and more experienced than most, and lightning was less affected by night. Besides, the waterbenders in the attack squad would be more powerful. For that reason, they were going to wait another night or two, until the moon returned. Even a sliver would be beneficial.

Katara heard a soft step outside and didn't need to look to know who it was.

"Good morning, Aang," she greeted him. "What brings you here?"

"You, I think." He sat cross-legged near her. "Something woke me up, and when I saw you were gone…I felt like I should find you."

"I was just thinking. About the last time we were here."

"Yeah. Me too," Aang said quietly. He paused. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly, shaking her head. "I just…I'd seen you come through so many things that seemed impossible. I guess I thought that you always would. And when I saw you master the Avatar State that day, I felt like things had to come out all right. Then…" she trailed off, the painful memories coming again to the forefront and choking off her words. Maybe talking about this wasn't the best idea.

"You know, I still can't imagine what that must have been like for you," he offered gently, placing his hand over one of hers. "I'm the one who died, but you had to watch it. I actually think that's worse, and I'm sorry it happened."

"So many things went through my mind," Katara admitted. "Not at first; I was too concerned with catching you and getting you to safety. But afterward…and some were so selfish! I was thinking about what _I'd_ lost, and that you'd never know what you meant to me. Isn't that awful?"

"No it's not. It's human. It's okay to be human." Aang gave her a half smile as she looked up at him. "That's taken me a while to accept, but it's true."

"What do you mean?" she demanded. "When did you not accept being human?"

"It's not that I didn't accept that I _was_ human; it's more that I had a hard time believing that was good enough." Aang sighed, staring ahead as though visualizing something in front of him. "When I walked the Spirit World, while I was healing, the last Avatar to talk to me was Yangchen. She didn't tell me anything about her life, but she tried to help me put together everything I'd learned."

"And you said you'd learned that all of the Avatars made mistakes," Katara prompted, recalling that piece of information.

"Yes. So I asked why the Avatar had to be human at all. Why not just a powerful spirit instead? She told me that the Avatar needed to be human and spirit combined. The elemental power's important, but it's not the only thing. To help people, the Avatar has to understand them, how they think and feel. I know things like joy, grief…" His eyes shifted to rest on Katara again, and he squeezed her hand. "…love. And now that I've had time to think about it, I think that _is_ important. At least as important as the power."

Katara spent a moment or two trying to imagine the world where the Avatar was merely a distant spirit, bound to keep the world in balance. Such a thing couldn't be killed, of course, as she still feared Aang would be one day. But such a spirit would also not be gazing at her right now with gray eyes shining, warm hand clasped in hers. She smiled at him, feeling much more at peace with the universe.

"I agree with Yangchen," she said, and she couldn't resist leaning forward and kissing him before she continued. "I love you, Aang."

"I love you, too." His face took on a determined expression. "And I _will_ succeed here this time. We'll make new memories of the city. Better memories."

When he spoke like that, Katara found it impossible to doubt him. She decided to enjoy the time they still might have alone before someone looked for them. She curled into Aang's lap and rested her head on his shoulder as he shifted slightly to make them both more comfortable. He wrapped his arms around her and put his head against hers. Inhaling his unique scent, Katara wished this moment could last forever.

***

Ursa and Zuko were nearly at their destination when Zuko suddenly stopped and stood staring. Concerned, Ursa paused also to look at him.

"What's wrong?" she demanded, but for a moment, her son could only shake his head.

"I did this," he murmured, in a voice so hoarse and low she could hardly hear it. Ursa got the feeling that he was not really answering her at all. "I helped this to happen. I never really stood and…_looked_ before."

Ursa followed his gaze and saw what he had – massive Fire Nation war machines swarming around the once-walled city. Ursa had seen Ba Sing Se a couple of times during her voluntary exile, and she had to admit it was jarring to see it so drastically changed.

Even worse, she had no idea what to say to her son to make him feel better. Life had been so much easier when he was five or six, and a hug and kiss from Mom could make everything all right. His life – and hers – had become so much more complicated. Her little boy had grown into a man in her absence, and it was still hard for her to accept. She didn't know how to relate to him anymore.

"We lived here for a while," Zuko continued. "Uncle ran a tea shop. He thought we could hide behind the walls, lose ourselves in the large population."

Ursa looked at his profile as he stared at the havoc his family had wrought. He bore little resemblance to his father, she observed. There were a few lines of his jaw and nose that were reminiscent of the last two Firelords, but most of his features favored her. She wondered if he had ever noticed that.

"Zuko, I'm sorry," she said, and he turned toward her. "For everything you've had to go through. A mother wants to protect her children, but I wasn't there."

"It's okay, Mom," he assured her, a wry smile twisting his mouth. "If you hadn't done what you did, I might not be here now."

"We can't change the past," she told him, speaking of both her and him. "We can only act in the present and work for a better future."

"You're right." Zuko nodded decisively. "We have to find everyone and tell them what's coming." He turned his head to look to the east, where the airships would come from. There was no sign of them yet, but it couldn't be long now.

"How will we find them?" Ursa had been wondering this for a day or two but had not ventured to ask.

"All I have to do is get close," he answered confidently. "Then they'll come and find me." He began striding toward the city, and Ursa rushed to catch up with him.

"How can you be sure?" she persisted, trying to match the pace of a pair of legs that were now longer than hers.

"There's a girl with them, an earthbender named Toph. She's blind, but her earthbending lets her 'see' through vibrations in the ground. She knows me well enough to recognize me, so we just have to get within range."

"And what is that range, exactly?"

"I'm not sure. She didn't go into detail, and I don't think she understands distance the same way we do."

Ursa decided to trust that he knew what he was doing and merely followed along as he picked a certain distance from Ba Sing Se and began roaming along in a rough arc. However, this went on much longer than she was comfortable with, and just as she was about to suggest another course of action, a small girl popped out of a pile of rubble that looked indistinguishable from the rest of the devastation. She waved at them, and Zuko waved back, finally giving a genuine smile. It completely transformed his face, and Ursa looked between him and the girl doubtfully.

"Isn't she a little young for you?" she murmured as she and Zuko moved toward the girl.

"Oh stop," he protested, although Ursa noticed that his unscarred cheek grew rosy. "Can't we end this war before you go all Mom on me?" At that, Ursa couldn't help grinning. That was definitely something a mother didn't hear every day.

"Hey, Smokey," Toph greeted when they were close enough that she didn't have to shout. "Is that your mom?"

"Yes, it is," Zuko replied, before switching to a bantering tone Ursa had never imagined she'd hear him use. "Is that your new nickname for me?"

"Yeah. I had some time to think about it while you were gone."

"It's definitely better than the other ones you tried." Zuko quirked his good eyebrow. "Or shouldn't I tell you that?"

"Well, it's not _required_ that everyone hate their nicknames. Come on in. We try not to stay out in the open too much." She led the way to a hidden entrance that revealed a rather roomy cave. Pallets, blankets, cloaks, and just about anything else that could be used for cushioning were spread around haphazardly, and a few people appeared to be sleeping. Most, however, were sitting awake, and several greeted Zuko warmly. One in particular caught Ursa's attention, and she couldn't take her eyes off of him. This boy had a shaven head marked with a blue arrow. He was wearing an outfit in autumn colors that revealed another blue tattoo running along his arm.

This, of course, was the Avatar. Even in the tiny village where Ursa had sought refuge, they had heard of his deeds, especially of his mysterious return from the dead to lead an invasion upon the Fire Nation itself. That it had been unsuccessful did not diminish his achievements. Frankly, Ursa was amazed that all of the things she had heard had been accomplished by someone who looked so unassuming.

"Everyone, this is my mother," Zuko was saying, and Ursa dragged her attention back to him. "Princess Ursa. Or…should it be Firelady now?"

"I gave up the 'princess' title a long time ago," Ursa told them all with a smile. "Along with any others. You can just call me Ursa."

There were some slightly chaotic introductions, which eventually woke those who had been sleeping. After that, Zuko anxiously explained to the group what he'd heard about the Firelord – now The Phoenix King – coming this way.

"There's more," Zuko added soberly, once the initial babble of questions and exclamations had died down. "I attended a war meeting before I left. Father wanted to find a way to…break the people of the Earth Kingdom. He and his generals decided that the best thing to do was total destruction. He's going to use the comet to burn everything he can reach."

Shocked silence followed this announcement, and Ursa was among those stunned. Zuko hadn't mentioned this to her.

"When you say burn everything, do you mean…?" the blue-clad girl called Katara didn't finish the question, but her meaning was clear.

"I mean everything," confirmed Zuko, his mouth set in a grim line. "Trees, buildings, farm fields. Everything he can reach before the comet passes. Since it sounds like he's making Ba Sing Se his base for that, the city itself and the fields that support it should be safe. That part's new."

"So you have no idea when they'll get here?" asked Sokka. Zuko shook his head.

"It's been days since I heard about it, so it could be any day now," he said.

"Then it seems we have no choice," sighed Pakku, who represented the third and last member of the Water Tribe contingent. "We must strike tonight." Ursa looked out of their cave with trepidation. The sun was already sinking.

"Well, we're all pretty well rested," remarked Suki. She seemed to be echoing Ursa's own thoughts. "But you two aren't."

"They can stay here," offered the ancient King Bumi. "The rest of us should be enough to do what needs to be done."

"Not a chance," replied Zuko forcefully. "I helped make this happen, and I'm going to help fix it." Iroh smiled at his nephew proudly.

"Perhaps you are right," he acknowledged. "Long ago, I had a vision that I would take Ba Sing Se. I didn't understand until recently that I would be re-taking it on behalf of the Earth Kingdom."

"Well, I'm certainly not staying behind," added Ursa, sensing that she would be mentioned next. When some of the others looked at her quizzically, she smiled at them. "Don't forget that I'm a firebender, too. I might be a little out of practice, but I can hold my own." If there had been room, she would have demonstrated a few of the forms. One of the reasons she'd insisted on living alone in recent years was so that she could practice her firebending techniques, even if she didn't actually use fire because that would risk exposing her identity. Somehow, she'd had a feeling she would need her training again.

"Then it's decided," Master Jeong Jeong inclined his head with an air of finality. "We leave at sundown."

Now there was nothing left but the waiting and the fighting. Settling down onto the ground to meditate in preparation, Ursa couldn't help wondering which would prove to be more stressful.

--

Author's Note: Yes, I couldn't resist the call of the fluff in this chapter. I think things will move ahead fairly quickly from this point on, but I'm still not sure how many chapters it will be. I'll guess in the neighborhood of 32.

Review responses:

airnaruto45: You will simply have to wait and see.

musiclover9419: This one wasn't that exciting (unless you like Kataang fluff), but I'm setting up the action that will probably dominate the rest of the story.

Katsumara: Indeed you are. Actually, this _is_ after The Day of Black Sun, but as mentioned in my opening author's note, I had a different interpretation of what Bumi did during that time.

karenicae: Even more sweetness and fluff here. I don't think I'll have time for much more before the end, so I took the opportunity of this down time.

Atem's Sister Atea: I answered your main question in author notes. As for everything else, you will simply have to wait until I write it.

Amber Pegasus: No, NOW it's a reunion for everyone.:)

Tetsu Deinonychus: I do like to switch around the viewpoints, like using Ursa's here. I don't know if I really identify with Suki particularly. I don't feel we have much in common, except falling for someone into meat and sarcasm. Personality-wise, I'm probably a cross between Ty Lee and Katara.


	26. Chapter 26: The Battle of Ba Sing Se

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: An action-packed chapter is here! This is kind of choppy because the different characters are spread out and doing different things, so I wanted to show most of those places. I'm hoping that your imaginations can fill in the gaps and make a cohesive picture out of all of it.

**The Battle of Ba Sing Se**

By night, the city was eerily quiet, the machines of war still. There were guards, of course, but they were spread thin and not very alert. The months of quiet since the walls had come down had apparently lulled the soldiers into a false sense of security. Besides, they undoubtedly knew that they'd be inspected and drilled constantly once The Phoenix King arrived, so they might as well take it easy while they still could.

Zuko smiled tightly to himself. Soldiers were the same everywhere. Come to think of it, _people_ were pretty much the same everywhere. He supposed that was what Aang had been trying to tell him so long ago, after he'd discovered that Zuko was the Blue Spirit.

Their strike team was necessarily spread out due to the large area to be covered by a relatively small group of people. In addition, it was much easier for one or two at a time to slip past the guards. They could have taken out the guards, of course, but that might have alerted the larger forces inside the city to their presence, and they'd decided that the danger of being hit from both sides was relatively minimal. In fact, it was part of Zuko's job to keep those outer guards distracted until the main assault was well underway.

For the purposes of this miniature invasion, it was advantageous that the walls that had once shielded the city were no longer there. The openness now allowed their group to come in from multiple directions at once. Not very forward-thinking of the Fire Nation. Then again, they clearly weren't expecting any kind of attack.

Unfortunately, despite the gravity of what he was currently facing, Zuko found himself concentrating most upon something irrelevant that his mother had said just hours before.

_Isn't she a little young for you? _she had remarked upon seeing Toph. This had surprised Zuko and had been distracting him ever since. He and Toph were friends, that was all. She'd been the first person willing to accept him into the Avatar's entourage, and her background in a wealthy, upper-class family gave them more in common than Zuko had with the others.

On the other hand, Zuko couldn't deny that he'd missed Toph more than the rest while he'd been away. She helped him to stop taking himself so seriously, something he'd finally realized that he needed to do. And…she was the only person he knew who didn't care that he was scarred. As much as he tried to ignore it, he hated the reaction most people got the first time they saw him. Maybe it was because Toph was completely unaffected by his scar that Zuko felt like he could let down his guard with her. He could take off the mask he'd constructed to hide the pain and just be himself. Better than that, he could explore while he tried to figure out who he really was.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shot through the sky. That was the signal for the assault to begin, and Zuko stepped out of hiding and charged forward, setting aside all extraneous thoughts. His job was to take out the war machines that spread out in the area that had once been bordered by sturdy, stone walls. His mother, stationed some 200 yards away, shared the task with him. Destruction was something he could definitely do, and there was a certain satisfaction as he exploded the first one, hearing the cries of guards as they saw what was happening. He caught the flames as his mother did her part as well, and the battle was on.

***

Katara and Pakku swept through the city ahead of Sokka and Suki on ramps made of ice, softening up the city's defenders before the warriors closed in. They reused the ice as much as possible in order to conserve water, even though that required a portion of their concentration. As they sped along, they mowed down Dai Li and firebenders alike with a combination of ice and water. They hadn't started near each other, but their paths eventually crossed.

"Not bad," Pakku complimented Katara while they moved together down a street for a short time. He cast a water whip with a negligent gesture to knock a Fire Nation soldier back and, almost without pausing, sent out a coil to wind around an earthbender's legs. "Not as good as I am, but keep practicing."

Katara understood that he was goading her, but she couldn't help responding, even as she sent a sheet of ice daggers forward and to the right, pinning the clothing of several firebenders to various walls.

"It's not a competition," she protested. "We're trying to save a city, here." If only it were raining, she would feel more confident. Still, Ba Sing Se had a number of ponds and fountains that enabled her to re-arm herself.

"Everything's a competition," Pakku disagreed. And with a cheeky grin, he turned onto a side street, pushing a wave before him that knocked aside a squad of Dai Li and turned the earth they were trying to bend into mud.

"Men," Katara muttered exasperatedly, and then she returned to her task.

***

Toph felt somewhat constrained within the city proper and did her best to draw the firebenders out instead. Even though there were fewer walls now and plenty of her element to work with, she was limited by the fact that she wanted to keep the amount of destruction to a minimum. The Dai Li might not care, but there were many people still in Ba Sing Se who were perfectly innocent non-combatants. Toph saw no reason to hurt them or destroy their homes.

Apparently having the same idea, King Bumi was retreating some distance to Toph's right, luring a group of soldiers into a trap. Toph really had to admire the old man's cunning, and he was no slouch at the earthbending, either. During a lull in the action, she called out to him.

"Maybe you and I should have a contest sometime," she suggested. "It might be fun."

"Your style is certainly unusual," Bumi returned. "But you might need Aang with you to even the odds."

"Don't bet on it," she shot back. At this point, a small group of the Dai Li began attacking her, and her attention was pulled back to the battle. Unfortunately, they had the same advantages on open ground that she did, which was why the benders of water and fire were trying to engage the earthbenders as much as possible, while Toph and Bumi focused on the firebenders. It was a better balance of strengths against weaknesses.

The Dai Li outnumbered her, but they had to if they wanted to even approach being a match for her. Toph smirked as she wrapped herself in rock armor, leaving only the bare soles of her feet and her eyes exposed. She rolled with everything they tried to throw at her while sending some surprises of her own, keeping her opponents consistently off balance.

She didn't care how many there were; they were going down.

***

Aang directed Appa swiftly over the battle, heading unswervingly for the city's center. He pointedly avoided looking down, not wanting to get distracted by the situation his friends might be in. At this point in their journey, he had to trust them to take care of themselves. Instead, he concentrated on making sure they got out of the way of any attacks that came skyward, whether accidental or intentional. Since the bison's armor wasn't here, they had to rely on fancy flying to prevent him from getting hurt.

Iroh rode on the saddle, occasionally sending lightning bolts down at what Aang assumed were strategic targets. The three of them were going to take the palace, and the rest of the battle, while important in its own right, was largely a diversion to assist them in this goal. With most of the defenders drawn away to fight in the streets, Aang hoped that they wouldn't have to go through quite as much of a gauntlet as they'd run on their mission to speak with the Earth King.

He wasn't counting on it, though. It was no accident that the strongest member of the invading force (although he hated thinking of it that way – liberation force, that sounded better) was taking this on, along with arguably the best firebender. Jeong Jeong might have been a good choice as well, but Iroh had the advantage of being familiar with the layout of Ba Sing Se.

More particularly, Iroh knew the palace dungeons. While certainly not the highlight of his life, this knowledge was now coming in handy. He could go through and talk quickly to the prisoners, offering them freedom in exchange for their assistance in taking and holding the seat of power. In the meantime, Aang would already be doing his part to clear the palace of defenders. Since no member of the royal family was currently in residence, it was entirely possible that there would be very few soldiers guarding the building, and those few would probably not be looking for an assault from above. Even if the word of Aang's mysterious resurrection had reached here, they'd assume him to be on the run, not mounting a major frontal assault on this new Fire Nation stronghold. Sokka believed that this sort of thinking could work to their advantage, and Aang had learned to trust him in matters of strategy. Of course, they had been seen a couple of weeks ago freeing prisoners some distance to the south, but that was still a far cry from what they were now attempting.

As Aang spotted the sprawling palace grounds, he experienced a brief flicker of uncertainty when remembering the last time he had been here. However, he impatiently pushed it aside. There was no room for doubt. There was no Azula or Ozai to face off against at the moment, and he could handle anything else that might be thrown at him. The twinge in his back might remind him that he was mortal, but he would just be smarter and faster.

Calling out a warning to Iroh, Aang guided Appa into a sharp dive, leveling out only at the last moment and ignoring the haphazard attacks as he sped toward the main entrance.

He spared just a moment to hope that Katara was all right before turning his focus back to the here and now. This was his time.

***

Jeong Jeong took up a position in a town square, easily beating off attacks that came at him from various directions. His hope was to show enough firepower to inspire the defenders to retreat or even surrender. He still regretted that his bending could not be used to effectively incapacitate, like water and earth could. He could only burn to wound, kill, or destroy.

His companion, Piandao, backed him up by engaging some of the attackers in melee and preventing them from getting too close to Jeong Joeng, whose techniques were better at a certain range. The swordsman also had difficulty in not dealing lethal wounds, since a sword was inherently designed to kill. However, he used the flat of his blade whenever possible.

In a way, this battle felt to Jeong Jeong much like his previous career as a Fire Nation general, and he knew that the death toll today would be higher than he'd like. Still, he could at least comfort himself with the fact that the entire assault was very focused and should avoid civilian casualties, unlike the typical Fire Nation invasion.

Besides, there was a key difference in his actions today versus those he'd taken under the orders of the Firelord. Today, he was fighting on the right side.

***

Suki picked up a dagger dropped by a soldier Katara had knocked against a wall. It wasn't a fan, but Suki was willing to improvise. Unarmed strikes could only take her so far, yet she didn't have time to learn a new fighting style. The dagger was close enough in weight and balance to her war fans that she thought it would do. She only needed to change her grip.

Thus armed, Suki felt more powerful, and she ducked and spun through squads of firebenders and earthbenders alike with increased confidence. As she clubbed one soldier on the head with the dagger's handle, she wished that she could have shared this fight with Sokka. She understood the necessity of splitting everyone up and they should find each other when they converged on the city's center.

Suki was looking forward to reaching the palace. For one thing, she'd never been there. For another, she was hoping to find at least three sets of Kyoshi Warrior weaponry stashed somewhere. Azula and the others would have had no use for them once they took over the city, so it made sense that they might still be there. Suki already regretted that they hadn't had time to go and search the area where she and her warriors had been captured. It was just possible that some of their weapons had been left there where they'd been dropped, although she hated to think of the condition they'd be in by now. Of course, it was equally possible that the three girls had cleaned up after the brief battle in order to hide any evidence that it had ever happened.

Regardless, Suki was still a long way from the palace, and she sternly forced her mind back to the combat that still raged in front of her. She couldn't even see the palace yet, so the best thing to do was keep her head down and keep on moving.

***

Sokka joined forces with several Kyoshi warriors as he made his way inside the Inner Ring. He knew his sword style could still use some work, but he thought he did a reasonable job of hacking away at whatever got in his path.

His most frightening moment came when a bolt of lightning suddenly came directly toward him. Sokka hadn't been expecting any firebenders with that capability, and he could do nothing but stand dumbstruck as the energy channeled itself into his raised sword.

Sokka closed his eyes, certain that this was the end. It would go through his body, stop his heart, and that would be it. Nobody could survive a charge like that.

However, he felt nothing. After several heartbeats proved that he was still alive, he opened one eye. Then, he opened the other. The firebender who'd shot at him looked just as astounded as Sokka felt. His resolve returning, Sokka pointed his sword ahead and gave a wild battle cry. Before he could even begin his charge, however, something else astonishing happened. A bolt of lightning emerged from his meteorite-derived sword. It hit the cobblestone street, throwing stones in various directions and scattering the combatants.

At this point, Sokka could only stare at his weapon in amazement for a few seconds. Unfortunately, he did not have time to dwell on this newly discovered property. As soon as he did, he was sure he would find further uses for it. He brought his guard up and waded back into the fray.

***

Iroh and Aang easily swept aside or avoided the few soldiers remaining to defend the palace. After landing, Iroh slipped down with a speed and agility he would never have expected to be capable of just a few months ago and headed down a hall to find some stairs.

As they had planned, the palace did not seem to be particularly well guarded. The occupants seemed to be primarily servants preparing for the arrival of Iroh's younger brother. Before he got out of earshot, Iroh could hear Aang addressing them.

"I am Avatar Aang," the boy announced in a voice strong and clear. "Some of you might remember me. I have no wish to hurt anyone, but I am taking control of this palace."

Iroh heard no more as he went down to the cells, speaking briefly to each prisoner. He'd had the opportunity to speak with a few of them while he had been incarcerated here, and they remembered him. Most agreed to stand with him and the Avatar, whether they knew him or not. These Iroh set free, but the ones who weren't sure remained locked up. They would have to sort out those people later. Besides, some were non-combatants, and they would be safer there until everything was over.

When Iroh came upstairs with his reinforcements in tow, the servants had scattered. Aang was standing on the platform in front of the palace, waiting implacably. Despite his diminutive size, he did cut a rather impressive figure, his new airbender garb leaving one arm and shoulder exposed along with the associated tattoo, and the hand at the end of that arm gripped his glider-staff firmly upright. He didn't acknowledge the presence of Iroh and the others, but Iroh knew he was aware of them.

At Iroh's direction, the freed prisoners, primarily a combination of rebellious firebenders and disillusioned Dai Li, lined up across the front of the palace. Jeong Jeong, Piandao, and most of the other allies arrived and took up positions in front of them, across the canal. The few city defenders who'd been pursuing them straggled up afterward and stopped. Some of them looked up, and Iroh twisted to follow their gaze. Pakku and Katara had just appeared on the roof, and swept their arms from back to front in unison, ending by holding water at the ready.

The defenders turned around, either seeking reinforcements or an escape route, but their hopes were to be dashed. Bumi and Toph raced up behind them, using the stone under their feet to give them the steps of giants. Soon afterward, Zuko and Ursa appeared from the sides, flanking the two earthbenders, and small fireballs burned on their hands.

Clearly defeated, the soldiers threw down whatever weapons they possessed and knelt in front of the Avatar. He accepted their surrender with four simple words.

"The city is ours," he stated.

The Battle of Ba Sing Se was over.

--

Author's Note: It always bothered me that Sokka spent an entire episode making his unique sword and learning how to use it only to lose it without doing anything particularly special with it. My husband helped me work out the concept of it having the special property of storing lightning and shooting it out later.

Review responses:

airnaruto45: Thanks for reviewing.

musiclover9419: Well, it probably would have been easier to support Kataang if the creators hadn't decided to screw it up at the end. I was a fan at least from early in the 2nd season. I'm a hopeless romantic at heart, and I just think Aang is so sweet, I want him to be happy.

Katsumara: Yeah, I know this is kind of stretched out over our time, so it can be hard to remember how it began. Glad you enjoyed the fluff, and hope you found the action in this chapter satisfying in a different way, if not terribly detailed.

Atem's Sister Atea: Some people love the Toko, and some people clearly don't, so I guess I'll just write them however I want. Did you like the battle? Fire Nation loyalists and Earth Kingdom traitors alike got their due, and just about everyone in the Gaang got a chance to shine.

Amber Pegasus: Thanks.

Tetsu Deinonychus: Yes, I'm trying to bring in as many elements from the actual show as I can, while just adjusting those things that I think would have made for a more epic and ultimately satisfying conclusion. Despite what others may think, I do respect the overall concept of the Avatar world and story.

RI100014: You seem to have disabled your private messaging feature, so I'm unable to respond to your last message. If you wish to continue the conversation, please e-mail me at the address linked to my profile. And I was merely providing context for my comments.

Monte-chan: Well, this fighting was more of a prelude to the big showdowns that will occur in a few chapters, but it was large enough, I think. I'm looking forward to being able to surprise you and some others in the future. I think you missed the part where Azula's coronation already took place.


	27. Chapter 27: A Change in the Wind

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: The writing is going much more smoothly, which gives me an indication that I'm getting to the high points I've had planned since the beginning. Enjoy!

**A Change in the Wind**

Sokka couldn't seem to stop staring at his sword. The substance of which it was made had fallen out of the sky, and so must have his inspiration for using that metal to forge it.

"I don't know exactly why or how," he was explaining to the others. "But it seems to absorb lightning temporarily and shoot it back out again. I've just got to learn how to control that."

"Well, don't look at me," said Iroh emphatically. "I am _not _going to shoot lightning at you just so you can practice."

"Enough about that," Katara cut in. "We have more urgent things to deal with here."

Reluctantly, Sokka agreed that she was right, and he sheathed his sword. Dawn was breaking, and a lot of the mop-up had already been done. The prisoners had been rounded up and now filled the cells that Iroh had previously emptied. The official announcement of the city's liberation would be made at midmorning, since anyone who had managed to sleep through the battle might as well get their rest.

However, it didn't look like the core of the Boomeraang Squad was going to get much sleep anytime soon. They had questioned a couple of the captured soldiers and discovered that Ozai was expected to arrive tomorrow with his fleet of airships. That gave them only a day and a night to prepare. Most of their allies had been sent to bed in unoccupied rooms of the palace, but the Old Masters had remained with Sokka, Aang, Katara, Toph, Suki, and Zuko in the throne room to make their plans.

"I thought I would still have a couple of weeks to train," Aang groaned, rubbing a hand across the arrow on his head. For the first time, Sokka noticed that the kid looked tired. Suddenly, Aang's head snapped up, putting Sokka instantly on alert. "Hang on a minute. Didn't we learn that Azula's been crowned the Firelord?"

"That is what the soldier told us," Jeong Jeong confirmed. "Is there a problem?"

"Maybe." Aang bit his lip fretfully before he continued. "Roku told me that I had to defeat the Firelord before the comet got here. He didn't say Ozai; he said Firelord. Technically, Azula's the Firelord now, so do I go to her or stay here to meet Ozai?" He stood up and began pacing while everyone just stared at him. Apparently, nobody had considered this wrinkle. Sokka knew he hadn't.

"That is an excellent question," Bumi conceded.

"What am I supposed to do?" cried Aang, waving his arms as he approached panic. "I can't be in two places at once!" Katara stood and got in his path, grasping his shoulders.

"Aang, calm down," she urged. "We'll figure this out." He gazed at her for a few heartbeats before taking a deep breath while closing his eyes.

"You're right," he agreed, visibly calming, but he did not sit back down, and Katara stayed with him.

"Couldn't we just have the battle here first, and then go to fight Azula in the Fire Nation?" Toph suggested. "We'll still have time before the comet." Sokka thought about the possibilities of that, but Pakku spoke before he had time to think it through.

"That's not going to work," the waterbender declared. "You'd have time, yes, but so would she."

"And we all know how well Azula can plan when she has the time," added Katara grimly.

"Doing the battles at different times would just tip her off," Suki agreed. "She'll have an idea of how many of us there are and will guess that we'll come after her next."

"So she'll either pull back troops to reinforce the capital city or muster any remaining forces in the Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, and the ocean to bring the fight to us," Sokka mused. "I don't like those odds."

"Not to mention we'll already have our hands full recovering from two recent battles and trying to get Ba Sing Se running again," Piandao put in. "We'll have to split up no matter what happens."

"And this is all assuming the best case scenario that we win decisively against Ozai," sighed Suki.

"There are other problems associated with this as well," said Iroh. "If my brother is killed during the battle, and a week or more elapse before we face Azula, she will solidify her control of the Fire Nation. It will give her an opportunity to rally the people behind her and make it that much more difficult to unseat her. We must establish our control of that capital at almost the same time as we beat back the new threat here."

"It could be even more difficult if Ozai escapes and gets back to Azula," Bumi pointed out. "We would have to face both of them, and they'd give their nation a united front to stand behind."

"Okay, I get it!" Toph threw her hands up in surrender. "It was a bad idea. I just thought I'd mention it."

"No, it was a good question," Zuko assured her. "We need to look at all of our options before we decide what to do."

"All right." Aang began ticking points off on his fingers. "We know that we need to defeat both Ozai and Azula, and we have to do it pretty close to the same time. Some of us have to go to the Fire Nation while the rest stay here. What I still don't know is where I need to be. If I guess wrong…."

"Why don't you just ask Roku?" suggested a female voice from the doorway. Sokka turned to see Ursa standing there. She walked forward to join them. It was still kind of weird to think that she was Zuko's mother. She seemed so…_different_ from everyone else in her family.

"You're supposed to be getting some rest," Iroh reproved mildly.

"I can't sleep now," she returned, with a wave of her hand. "I'll try later."

"That _is_ a good idea," said Toph to Aang. "Didn't you talk to him to find out where Ursa was?"

"Right," replied Aang a little sheepishly, rubbing one hand behind his neck. "I should have thought of that. I guess I should go ask him."

"Why can't you just stay here and do it?" Suki demanded. Aang looked even more embarrassed.

"Well, I'm going to try to sort of…call him out of myself," he explained. "Then I can talk to him without actually being in the spirit world, but I don't think the rest of you will be able to see him. To you, it would look like I'm talking to myself, and thinking about that might make it hard for me to concentrate."

Aang withdrew to a side alcove while the others continued talking. Katara looked like she wanted to go after him, but she finally just sat back down.

They had already decided that their primary strategy would be to hide the fact that the Fire Nation no longer controlled Ba Sing Se. For that reason, the walls would not go back up yet.

"We know the fleet will be coming this way, from the ocean," Sokka pointed to his map. "The destroyed war machines are all on the other side, so those shouldn't be too obvious, even from the air."

"It might not be a bad idea to hide them anyway," Jeong Jeong offered.

"Not a problem," Toph stated. "A little creative earthbending should take care of that."

"We should expect troops to arrive not only by airship but also over the ground," added Sokka. "Since they have some mountains to cross, that could slow the whole thing down."

"They would have been expecting that, though," Katara pointed out.

"That's why they'll probably already be in the air and on the sea today," said Zuko. "They'll want to get the ground troops across the mountains and camp there tonight."

"That's going to make it hard for those who go to the Fire Nation to get around," Pakku frowned.

"That's why we have to get this settled as soon as possible," Sokka asserted. "So they can get started right away."

"It will also need to be a small group," Piandao contributed. "Just a few people with Appa."

"Now, we just need to find out who it is that needs to go," chuckled Bumi. Before anyone else could comment, Aang returned. Unfortunately, he looked almost more puzzled than he had when he'd left. Sokka didn't think that was a good sign.

"Well?" he prompted.

"I'm supposed to face the Firelord – Azula," Aang said, dropping to sit cross-legged on the steps leading up to the dais. "Roku was very clear about that. But all he would say about Ozai was 'The Dragon must consume the Phoenix.' Does anyone know what that means?"

"Well, Iroh is the Dragon of the West, right?" suggested Sokka. He turned to see the retired general bow his head.

"Indeed," the old man agreed. "I believe it is time I confront my brother. I have long avoided it, perhaps too long." He sighed, then raised his head. "However, I think there may be a literal element in Roku's statement as well."

"You mean – a real dragon?" asked Ursa.

"But there are no more dragons," protested Jeong Jeong.

"What?" asked Aang, looking confused and worried. "Why not? What happened to them?"

"My great-grandfather happened," answered Zuko in a tone so soft it was almost a whisper.

"What do you mean?" Aang demanded.

"They were killed, Aang," Piandao said. "I'm sorry." Aang stared at him, then at the others of the Fire Nation. His eyes flickered into a glow, and Sokka flinched instinctively, ready to run. For once, he was glad that he didn't have a clue what everyone was talking about.

However, Aang quickly suppressed the impulse to lose control as sorrow won out over anger, and he drooped where he sat.

"Oh," he said sadly. "I wondered why we didn't see any while we were in the Fire Nation. Back when I used to visit Kuzon, they filled the sky."

"Actually, they are not _all_ dead," admitted Iroh hesitantly.

"They're not?" said several voices at once.

"But you killed the last one!" Zuko blurted out. "You told me so yourself."

"I lied, Nephew," Iroh said simply. "I am sorry, but it was necessary." He sent his gaze around the room, meeting each pair of eyes in turn.

"Are you going to explain or what?" Toph exclaimed, having lost patience. Iroh smiled briefly at her before beginning his story.

"After the comet had passed the last time, and Sozin realized that he had somehow missed the new Avatar after all, he issued a bounty on dragons," he began. "No one knows why. Perhaps the dragons reminded him too much of Roku."

"But Sozin had a dragon, too," Aang objected.

"His dragon was exempt from the killing," Iroh replied. "As I understand it, that dragon was already twisted by then from his psychic bond with Sozin and ostracized by his own kind. He may have even helped to eliminate some of them. Anyway, the dragons were pursued and slaughtered for decades. In addition to the money, anyone who killed a dragon could give themselves a title with the word 'Dragon' in it. I actually became known as the Dragon of the West because of the firebreathing technique I used while leading the siege against Ba Sing Se, but I didn't find the last two dragons until I left here."

"Two?" Katara echoed.

"A mated pair," Iroh nodded. "I believe I can trust all of you with this secret now. They live in hiding on a small island, protected by people who call themselves Warriors of the Sun. They are all that remains of an ancient civilization, one that pre-dates the Fire Nation and probably the other modern nations as well. They worshiped the sun and were the first to learn firebending from the dragons, whom they continue to revere to this day.

"These two dragons tested me and found me worthy of the knowledge they held. Those who wish to share it must also come before the dragons, but I can tell you this much – true firebending is about life, not death."

"That's sort of what you were trying to teach me," Aang piped up.

"Exactly," Iroh agreed. "To protect them, I told everyone that I had faced and killed the last remaining dragon. I hoped that such a statement would prevent others from searching for them, and it did. I suppose it is ironic that I am the last to earn a Dragon title, and the only one to leave the dragons alive in doing so. Then again, I might not be the first to lie about their existence."

"So you're going to go and talk to them?" prompted Toph.

"That is my plan," replied Iroh. "It seems that it is now time for the dragons to come out of hiding and restore their place in the world. If Aang will consent, he can drop me off at the island."

"Where is it?" Aang asked him.

"Perhaps a few hours' journey from the Western Air Temple," replied Iroh. "You were probably going there to retrieve Appa's armor anyway, yes?"

"If I have time, I thought it would be a good idea," said Aang. "I guess it's you and me, then. Can the rest of you hold the city?"

"I'm coming with you," announced Katara, in a firm tone that brooked no argument. Aang, however, poor, deluded boy that he was, still attempted to argue.

"No," he responded. "I need to face Azula alone."

"Nobody's ever said that," Katara objected. "Not even Roku. Besides, who knows whether _she'll_ actually be alone? Chances are, she'll have some guards or something around her. And what about Mai and Ty Lee?"

"Do you really think you can handle Mai and Ty Lee?" interrupted Sokka, feeling some concern for his sister. "I mean, the last time you and I faced them together, we were only saved at the last minute by Appa."

"But we've learned a lot since then," Katara pointed out. "Anyway, Aang having control of the Avatar State should help neutralize some of the resistance. I just want him to be able to focus on Azula as much as possible. I don't want him to be taken by surprise."

She didn't say "again" at the end of that sentence, but Sokka had a feeling she was thinking it.

"Sokka's right," Zuko spoke up. "I'll go, too. I still have some unfinished business with my sister." He turned to his mother in silent question.

"I'll stay here," she decided. "Whatever she may have become, I don't think I could fight my own daughter. Besides, I'm still technically banished. My husband, on the other hand, I think I'm ready to face again."

"I don't think we can take anyone else and still make good time, anyway," Aang precluded any further offers. "The main threat will still be here, and we need as many of you as possible to stay."

"Then it's decided," Katara concluded. "The four of us will take Appa to the Western Air Temple, then this dragon island, then the Fire Nation capital."

"I expect to have my own ride back, so you can just drop me off," added Iroh, smiling faintly.

"Right," agreed Sokka, taking charge of the situation. "You should get ready to leave immediately. The rest of us will prepare to defend the city with all we've got." The four left, and before resuming the plans for Ba Sing Se's defense, Sokka glanced over at Suki. He was happy that he could stay with her without excuse, at least for the moment. Any decisions about where their future and loyalties lay could be postponed, and that was more of a relief than he cared to admit openly.

--

Author's Note: Okay, admit it; I surprised you on that, didn't I? Here you were, all expecting to again see the Ozai vs. Aang battle, but that's not the way it's going to go. Doesn't dragon pair plus Iroh versus Ozai sound pretty exciting, though? My husband helped me come up with that, and he said the concept gave him chills. I hope my execution does as much for you.

Review responses:

airnaruto45: You're entitled to your opinion; readers seem to either hate or love the Toko. I'm just playing with it because I see some aspects about it that I like. My personal favorite pairing for Zuko was Song, but I already covered that in Destiny's Call, plus she never showed up again.

musiclover9419: I'm afraid the choppiness was kind of unavoidable if I wanted to get everything about the battle into one chapter. You supported Zutara about the time that Aang finally said he loved Katara and Zuko betrayed Katara and Aang? I fear for your future in relationships!

Katsumara: The Avatar world is fun because a lot of things that wouldn't work in other fiction venues can be explained here. And I'm happy that you and others liked the action sequences. In prose, I think it's sometimes more effective not to over-describe battles but give a general sense of what's going on.

Mister Wonderful: Well, welcome aboard! I actually began writing Avatar fanfiction because I noticed the lack of high-quality Kataang, and once I started, I just couldn't stop!

Atem's Sister Atea: So, what, his sword washes up on the shore or something? That could be an interesting story. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the battle scenes. I had the feeling Pakku would be one of those people who'd compete over _anything_.

melissita: I'm glad you enjoyed it, and the chapters do seem to be coming more smoothly, so I hope I can update a little more often.

Amber Pegasus: Thank you.

Tetsu Deinonychus: I hoped you would like that presentation of the action. I'm trying to give just enough to spark the readers' imaginations. I know I haven't had as much humor in this story, but I think I can say that there will be at least a little romance/drama before the end.

Monte-chan: Yes, the ages of Toph and Zuko presently are a bit of a concern, and I will probably have to address that before the end. However, when she's 20 and he's 24, or even 16 and 20, it won't make so much difference. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoy my re-telling of certain things.


	28. Chapter 28: Island of the Sun

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I want to state one thing in advance regarding the final battles against Ozai and Azula – there will be no use of firebending as jet propulsion. Not only did it strike me as silly, it raised the question of why the technique hadn't been employed before. For example, why couldn't firebenders have simply vaulted over the walls of Ba Sing Se years ago? More recently, why didn't Azula use that to keep herself from falling off the drill or go from the drill to the top of the wall? With that being said, I do hope to make the battles as dramatic and impressive as possible, given the limitation of having only words to work with.

**Island of the Sun**

Aang was quiet on the way to the Island of the Sun. They'd stopped only briefly at the Western Air Temple to pick up Appa's armor and put it on before setting out again. The bison didn't exactly need the protection just yet, but it was easier for him to carry the weight spread out over his body than bundled in one place.

Fortunately, their group had left Ba Sing Se early enough that the airship fleet wasn't even in sight yet as they flew across the ocean. During this second leg of the journey, however, Aang thought he caught glimpses of red spots in the distance now and then. Despite his many misgivings, he was cheered by the sight of Momo flitting and playing in the air currents nearby. Since Momo had not been assigned to any particular task, he'd been able to make his own choice of where to go. He had come along with Appa, and Aang was often grateful for his presence. The lemur was somehow soothing.

Aang had a lot to think about. He wasn't sure whether to be more relieved or concerned that he was to be facing Azula again. On the one hand, she was a known entity that he had faced several times before, and some philosophies would hold that the known threat was better than the unknown one. The air monks, in fact, had taught him that.

On the other hand, Ozai had not actually battled anyone in years, as far as Aang knew. He kept holed up in his palace most of the time, which might indicate that he was not so powerful a fighter, or at least out of practice. One would assume that he was reasonably well talented as a firebender to be Firelord, but it was possible that he wasn't as powerful as Azula or Iroh.

In addition, Aang had yet to truly defeat Azula even one-on-one, and he had no expectation that she would voluntarily accept those odds. The last time he'd seen her, she'd managed to manipulate him and his friends. The time before that…well, he'd nearly died. He glanced over at Katara, who had chosen to sit beside him on Appa's head, to find her watching him.

"Are you all right?" she asked, as though she had been simply waiting for a signal that he was open to conversation.

"I'm nervous," he admitted. "I've been expecting to face Ozai for so long, it's kind of weird to think that I have to fight Azula again. And this time, I have to win. There won't be another chance." Technically, he supposed that wasn't true, but it was close enough. Sozin's Comet wouldn't pass by for another three weeks, but as the others had so clearly laid out, this was his best opportunity to defeat Azula and win over the people of the Fire Nation in one fell swoop. It had also occurred to him that it might be advantageous to have a couple of weeks to spare before the comet arrived. If things weren't settled down under new leadership both in the Fire Nation and in the Earth Kingdom, it wouldn't take many renegade firebenders to take advantage of the comet's power and upset the fragile new balance.

"I'm not looking forward to this, either," Katara sighed, and the shadow in her eyes was more than Aang could bear. He looked away. He was afraid of dying permanently, but his primary fear was not for himself. It really wasn't even fear of what would happen to the world if he was no longer in it. No; foremost in his concerns was what it would do to Katara. Some of their recent conversations had revealed to him the grief she had felt when she'd thought he was gone. He never wanted to cause her pain of any kind, but especially not like that.

"I also don't know what I'm going to do to stop her," he added. "She's smart and powerful. This isn't going to be easy." He was also afraid that Katara might get hurt or worse in the battle, but his attempts to convince her to stay behind had been unsuccessful. Besides, a part of him was actually glad to have her along.

"If it was easy, the world wouldn't need you to do it," Katara pointed out, perhaps trying to strike a lighter tone. "Are you going to use the Avatar State?"

"Not unless I have to." Aang had been practicing with that, in between his individual bending lessons, but he knew he had to keep it as a last resort. "It's too risky if I'm not careful."

"I know; the Avatar cycle will end," Katara nodded, Aang having told her and Sokka that long ago. "I just think you need to be prepared to do it if it's necessary."

"Don't worry; I am." He paused, thinking aloud. "Agni Kai."

"What?"

"I'm going to challenge her to an Agni Kai," Aang explained. "That's the only way to make sure she'll face me alone. It's my best chance."

"Do you really think she'll agree to that?" wondered Katara doubtfully.

"I believe she has a sense of honor," declared Aang. "It may be a little twisted, but it's there."

"If you say so," the beautiful girl shrugged. "Theoretically, that will leave Zuko and me free to handle any others she might have with her, but I don't trust her."

"I don't trust her, either, but I have to try it." It was the best chance to keep his friends safe from her, even if it was a small one. What he did not say, and Katara did not ask, was the action he was _not_ prepared to take to defeat Azula. He would not become a killer.

Taking a life just wasn't right, no matter how justified it may seem. He refused to even kill an animal for his own sustenance, although he didn't stop others from doing so. Aang had a feeling that his friends simply assumed he was willing to kill Azula to put an end to the world's imbalance, and he didn't blame them for that. They'd grown up in the middle of a war, and they knew nothing else. Aang, however, could remember a time when the nations got along, at least on the surface. He now understood that the Fire Nation was already carving pieces out of the Earth Kingdom and plotting their assault on his people, but that changed nothing regarding his own course of action.

There had to be another way to stop the new Firelord for good, and somehow, he was going to find it.

***

Firelord Azula was worried. She had no particular reason to be worried – her father and the airship fleet were on their way, the transition of power had gone smoothly, and all seemed to be well.

In fact, things were going _too_ well, and that gnawed at her. She had a gut feeling that there was something she was missing, and she'd learned not to ignore such feelings. Her instincts had served her well in the past, and she saw no reason to abandon them now. She tapped her long fingernails on the cushion beside her, the only outward sign of agitation she would allow.

Azula was sitting in her place of prominence in the throne room, the flames surrounding her throne now blue to represent her own preferred firebending type. The public audiences were scheduled to begin in half an hour, but that still gave her time for other business.

There had been little news from the Avatar since the Day of Black Sun, and that was a cause for concern. Whatever her father might believe, Azula knew that the weeks that remained between now and the appearance of Sozin's Comet were crucial. If the Avatar were able to come up with something unexpected during that time, everything her people had worked and fought for could be lost.

She knew that the Avatar and his friends had broken some prisoners out of a colony in the middle of the Earth Kingdom a few weeks ago. Their main target appeared to be the Kyoshi Warriors that Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai had waylaid. Azula smiled a little to herself at the memory. The idea of using those uniforms and the female warriors' identity to get into Ba Sing Se had been a brilliant one, certainly one of her best. She'd taken the city, something none of the _men_ under her father's (or grandfather's) command had managed to do, and she'd done it with hardly any fuss, using the city's own earthbending protectors to seal her victory. Truthfully, the only way it could have been better was if the Avatar had actually died. Nonetheless, she had adequately prepared for that, as she proved during the eclipse. It was no doubt her great successes on those occasions that had convinced her father that she was ready to be Firelord.

The prison break itself did not disturb Azula unduly. Those girls had served their purpose and possessed no further value, although it irked her that Zuko and the Avatar had apparently succeeded in something the entire resources of the Fire Nation had not managed – finding her Uncle Iroh. One of the firebenders mentioned in the account of the event sounded suspiciously like him. Still, she had no more use for him, either. What bothered Azula the most was the silence that had ensued for nearly two weeks after the liberation of the prisoners. She did not like to be in the dark about her enemy's activities.

A hawk had just arrived today with the news that a squad of Fire Nation soldiers had briefly engaged the Avatar and his group a few days ago. The skirmish had occurred near the large river that ran to the south of Ba Sing Se. This got Azula to thinking what the Avatar might be planning. She couldn't imagine that his ragtag team of followers could possibly be intending to go into Ba Sing Se. Not only was it the site of their prior defeat, but the city was also solidly under the control of the Fire Nation.

"Find two or three of the Dai Li and send them to me," she ordered the masked guards that perpetually maintained their vigilance in this room. The one nearest the door bowed and exited.

"Is something wrong, Azula?" asked Ty Lee. She and Mai were seated just in front of the throne platform, flanking Azula. Technically, Ty Lee was supposed to address her new ruler as Firelord now, but Azula decided to let it slide…this time. There were more important things to be concerned about.

"Just a hunch," she replied languidly, acting for all the world as though it made no difference to her whatsoever. Moments later, two of the green-clad earthbenders entered and knelt before her. They said nothing, as was proper, waiting for her to speak first.

"I have a task for you," she said, maintaining her nonchalant attitude. "Disguise yourselves as common citizens and go into the city. Listen to what people are saying, and report back to me."

"Of course, Firelord," one of them agreed readily, almost too readily, and they bowed their way out. Azula was actually beginning to tire of this toadying she had to receive night and day. It was a little grating, and she now found it hard to believe there was a time when she thought she would enjoy such behavior.

"Now, my two old friends," Azula addressed Mai and Ty Lee in low tones. "I need to know one very important thing: are you loyal to me?"

"Of course, Firelord Azula!" Ty Lee sounded shocked that such a question could even be posed. Mai, however, was more measured and deliberate in her response.

"What do you mean?" she returned. Azula turned to look at the stony-faced girl.

"I mean, can I count on you when the time comes?" she clarified sharply. There was another pause.

"I won't do anything to hurt Zuko," Mai asserted. Azula allowed a short bark of incredulous laughter.

"He dumped you, Mai," she reminded her old playmate. "In a letter! The act of a coward."

"I know that," Mai bit out between clenched teeth, but she offered no more. No doubt she still fancied herself in love with that useless…ugh. Azula was even ashamed to acknowledge him as her brother.

"Well, don't worry," Azula assured her lightly. "If he actually is stupid enough to show up here again, which I doubt, he's all mine."

"Then you can count on me," Mai inclined her head.

"That's all I ask." Azula lounged back on her seat, waiting for the official audiences to begin. As a ruler, she thought it was important to have a few loyal people around her. Fear and intimidation were excellent tools, but they could only take one so far.

***

Zuko did not find the Island of the Sun to be particularly extraordinary when they landed. Unlike the volcanic islands of the Fire Nation, this seemed instead to be simply a small group of mountains poking up out of the ocean. It looked like a somewhat precarious place to live, since the water could rise at any time and obliterate the little flat land around the mountainous interior. On the other hand, he supposed that many people would say much the same thing about living on the edge of active volcanoes, as his own people did.

There were no signs of human habitation, but then again, these people had managed to remain hidden from the rest of the world for centuries. The very nondescript and unwelcoming appearance of the island was likely part of what had kept them that way.

Iroh was stretching himself after the long hours of riding, and Zuko was walking to ease the stiffness in his legs. He went over to his uncle.

"Can I come with you?" he asked. "I'd like to meet some dragons." Iroh appraised him for a moment.

"You will meet them soon enough," he replied at last. "Now is not the time. Having already overcome their trials, I must face them alone and explain what is happening and what is needed."

"They may already know," Aang suggested, petting the ears of the flying lemur that now rested on his shoulder.

"Indeed they might," Iroh agreed, smiling. "Nonetheless, I have a feeling they are waiting for a proper invitation before they show themselves." He turned briefly to gaze at the rocky crags that he would have to cross to reach his destination before turning his beaming face back to his fellow travelers. "Thank you for the ride and the companionship. If all goes well, we shall see each other again soon. I will offer you all a cup of tea at my shop in Ba Sing Se."

"I'll take you up on that," Katara was the first to respond, and she stepped unhesitatingly up to hug the old man. Sometimes, Zuko wished he could be that demonstrative with people he cared about. Maybe it was something that could be learned.

"Take care of yourself, Uncle," was all he could manage, but Iroh pulled him into a bear hug anyway. Then he turned away, and when he'd disappeared behind the first rock ridge, Aang took a deep breath.

"I think I need to prepare myself for tomorrow," he announced. "I'll just be over there."

"We should stay together," suggested Katara. "We won't bother you, but let's stay close." Aang agreed to that and led them to a small inlet where the ocean water was placid. Zuko was actually rather curious as to what the Avatar felt he needed to do to prepare himself for a battle ordained by destiny, so he sat down to watch.

Aang took some things out of the packs secured on Appa's saddle before stripping down to his underclothing and immersing himself in the water. It seemed almost a kind of purification ritual, a concept Zuko could understand.

After swimming for a few minutes, Aang climbed out of the water and lathered his head with one of the items he'd prepared. He proceeded to shave his scalp, then doused it again to rinse off any remaining lather. The orange light of the fading sun glowed on his skin as he rose to his full height, making him look surreal.

Finally, Aang airbended the water off of himself, dressed, and sat in what was unmistakably a meditation pose. That reminded Zuko that he could probably use some mental preparation of his own.

"I think I should meditate, too," he informed Katara as he also sat cross-legged on the beach. He didn't have any candles to work with, so the last rays of the sun would have to do for a focus. "It's been too long since I really focused."

"Suit yourself," she shrugged. She now sat with Momo in her lap, but the lemur shifted as she moved to lie on her side. "I'm going to try and sleep. I haven't had much rest since yesterday afternoon."

Zuko knew that this was true. He and Iroh had slept during much of the journey here, but while Katara had dozed some between Ba Sing Se and the Western Air Temple, she'd elected to spend most of the trip on Appa's head with Aang. Aang probably hadn't slept at all, although he didn't seem overly tired. It was almost as if he were drawing from some energy reserve not available to ordinary people.

Zuko nodded to Katara and closed his eyes. He forced his breath to become deep and even and calmed his thoughts and feelings as night fell around him. As he did so, he had the strange feeling that it was not only Aang who would be facing Destiny tomorrow.

--

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter's a little short. Anyway, I'm hoping you all now understand why Azula couldn't go insane in my story. She still needs to be a worthy adversary for Aang, and that means I need her at the top of her game.

Review responses:

Sparrow Logan: You and me both. I didn't understand why Katara agreed so quickly to go with Zuko. Then, of course, we got cheated out of her reunion scene with Aang, which could have made up for their separation during the battle.

musiclover9419: Well, it's an original concept, anyway. I'm just glad the show gave me the opening, even though I had to move up Azula's coronation to do it.

Katsumara: I suppose a part of me always wanted to see Iroh give the smack down to his upstart little brother, and now I have the chance to write it.:)

Atem's Sister Atea: I'm trying to be prompt, but other things do get in the way. Glad you enjoyed it!

Amber Pegasus: I hope that proves to be justified.

Mister Wonderful: It's going to be difficult to do the big battles justice without the advantage of visual effects, but I will do my best. It's epic in my mind, anyway.

Monte-chan: I suppose I'm a little sensitive to comments on age differences because my husband was 15 when I was born. I liked some aspects of The Firebending Masters, but I thought it was a long way to convey a small amount of information, and I hated that Katara didn't object to Zuko taking Aang away.

imbored9397: Aang deserves a rematch, and I think Katara still has some unresolved issues with Azula as well. I could sort of understand Katara wanting to fight Azula again in the finale, but I didn't like her so eager to leave the place where Aang was most likely to show up.

Black Betty: Thank you very much. If you go to my profile, I have links to some good Kataang authors, most notably Lyralocke and Amira Elizabeth. They mostly have oneshots, but you should check them out.


	29. Chapter 29: The Moving Island

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Yes, I am bringing in the giant lion-turtle, though I'm making a few adjustments. I know people had mixed reactions on this, but I actually liked the overall concept; I just thought the timing was awful. Ideally, I would have liked to see the lion-turtle meeting in place of the Nightmares & Daydreams episode, but since I started this after DOBS, I'm putting it here instead.

**The Moving Island**

Katara felt like she'd hardly closed her eyes when something started her awake. Catching her breath, she sat up and let her eyes adjust to the darkness.

Momo had left her side, and as she turned her face to the shore, she saw his light-colored body resting on Aang's shoulder. Aang appeared to be staring out at the water, and Katara rose to join him.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. She tried to follow his gaze but saw nothing besides the moonlight reflecting on the ocean.

"The island," he told her, still staring straight ahead. He sounded as if he were talking in his sleep, except that the words were distinct. "Calling. I must go." He moved to enter the water, but Katara grasped his shoulder and held him back.

"What do you mean, calling?" she demanded, getting concerned. "Who's calling?" She turned him to face her. He did not resist, but when she could see his face fully, she gasped. Aang's eyes were open, but he did not seem to see her. In fact, he didn't seem to really be seeing anything. It was almost like he was in some sort of trance. After staring for a second or two in shock, Katara released him. Taking no notice of her, he waded into the water. Soon, he was swimming, and Momo went flying after him. Katara struggled to keep herself from panicking, and she squinted into the night.

There. It appeared to be an island, dotted with trees, but she was positive that no island had been there yesterday. She rubbed her eyes, looked again, and it was still there. Katara had to make a rapid decision.

"Zuko!" she shouted, not afraid of being overheard here. She went over to where he had apparently dozed off and shook him. He sat up quickly, hands at the ready until his bleary eyes fixed on her and he relaxed a little.

"What? What is it?" he said, using one hand to wipe his eyes clear.

"Aang's gone," replied Katara simply, having no time to explain fully, even if she knew the whole explanation. Even as she spoke, she was gathering some food and fresh water from the packs. "You keep Appa. I can follow Aang over the water. If we're not back by dawn, fly to the Fire Nation without us. All you have to say to make him start flying is 'yip yip.'" She whispered the last two syllables to avoid making Appa take off prematurely. He was still half asleep, but her rummaging around on his back was causing him to stir, and she didn't want to alert him.

"What? How? Why?" Katara could understand Zuko's confusion, but she didn't have time. She shook her head as she grabbed Aang's glider in one hand.

"Sometimes, Zuko, you just have to trust Fate," she said. Aang was a strong swimmer and had a head start, so she turned and strode off across the water, no doubt leaving the prince gaping after her.

***

Firelord Azula was _not _happy, not happy at all. At dusk, her Dai Li agents had finally brought her the news she sought. It justified her uneasy feelings, but that didn't make her feel any better.

It seemed that a number of prisoners had escaped from various jails over the course of the past two weeks. All of the law enforcement involved had apparently felt that their individual escape was an isolated incident that they could address themselves.

If the rumors were correct, the "escapes" gradually progressed to all-out releases, and the groups involved became larger almost every time. This suggested a concerted effort and the formation of a large group of rebels, not a series of unconnected rabble-rousers.

Such things should undoubtedly have been reported to her father and, more recently, to her. If Ozai knew about these reports, however, he had clearly elected to do nothing. Either he had ignored it in the flurry of activities surrounding his ascension and Azula's coronation, he believed that any domestic unrest could be easily squashed with the comet's power at the same time as he ground down the will of the Earth Kingdom, or he considered the news of no real interest. Or he didn't know at all. At the moment, Azula wasn't sure which explanation she preferred.

Regardless, she knew she could ignore the situation no longer. The most recent prisoners freed had been those involved in the assault on the Day of Black Sun, again suggesting that outside agents were behind this. The crowning achievement had occurred just two days ago, at the large prison facility right here in the capital city. At least 50 prisoners of war had found their way to freedom, right under her nose.

This certainly should have been reported to her immediately, but she knew the reason it hadn't – the prison warden and guards were afraid of admitting such a failure of security. They were right to be afraid of her, but personal considerations could not be allowed to interfere with national security. The people responsible for the cover-up would have to be dealt with, but that could wait. If she was lucky, she still had time to prepare the city and palace against whatever was planned. Azula ended up spending much of the night making those preparations before finally seeking her bed. She had a feeling she would need her rest.

While she didn't know the details, a large and brash action like this could only mean that someone was coming soon to overthrow her. Whether it would be her brother or the Avatar himself didn't matter. Her reaction would be swift, decisive, and victorious.

***

Zuko stood on the shore, alone and dumbfounded. Well, not quite alone. He looked over to the large, furry creature that had now settled back down. Clearly, Appa didn't think there was anything to be concerned about, and Zuko had learned enough about the bison's intelligence and loyalty to Aang to know that he should probably follow his lead.

"It looks like it's just you and me," he remarked softly. Appa made a soft rumbling sound. Zuko sighed and sat down beside him, watching with his keen eyes until he could no longer clearly make out the shapes of either Katara or Aang against the backdrop of the island on the horizon. He knew that the island shouldn't be there and was fairly certain it hadn't been present when they'd landed several hours earlier. Something strange was going on, but since strange events often seemed to occur around the Avatar, he decided he should really try to take it in stride, as his new companions seemed to do.

Zuko twisted his neck around to look toward the interior of the island, where Uncle Iroh might even now be communing with two dragons. A part of Zuko wanted to go there to join him, but he knew that was not the place for him now, even as he was also apparently not meant to be with the Avatar right now. It seemed he was still trying to find his place in the world.

Zuko returned to his contemplation of the ocean and mentally listed all of the separations he'd had to endure just when he'd thought he'd finally found a place to belong. His mother had remained in Ba Sing Se, along with his newfound friends Toph and Sokka. His uncle had disappeared into the mountains behind him. Aang, Katara, and Momo had just taken off for some mysterious island that might, for all he knew, be an illusion.

"Well, if it is, they'll have to come back, won't they?" he reasoned aloud to himself. He lay down, deciding that he might as well try to get some sleep before dawn. He looked once more at Appa and suddenly realized that he'd never sat on the bison's head or tried to direct him while flying. His heart pounded at the thought, and he again gave voice to his thoughts. "I _really_ hope they come back!"

***

When Aang came to himself, he was looking through trees at the moon, which floated high in the sky. He blinked a couple of times before suddenly sitting upright.

Trees? There hadn't been any trees over the beach of the Island of the Sun. His breath came in short gasps as he looked around, thoroughly disoriented. The last thing he remembered was settling down to meditate and hearing a voice in his mind.

"What? Where?" he murmured aloud. He also realized that his clothing was wet with salt water. He knew he'd airbended himself dry after his swim earlier, and anyway, he hadn't been dressed for that. He wondered if he might possibly have stumbled into the Spirit World and decided to try a test. He used waterbending to pull the water out of his clothing, and it worked perfectly, which meant he had to be somewhere in the mortal world. It was just not anywhere he recognized.

As Aang sat back to consider the situation, he noticed a shape lying not far away. He cautiously crept closer and saw that it was Katara. The bright spot of Momo also lay nearby. Aang grasped Katara's wrist and was reassured to feel the warmth of her skin and the pulse of life within her. She stirred and rolled onto her back, opening her eyes. She sat up as she recognized him.

"Aang?" she asked, studying him for a moment.

"Katara, where are we?"

"You're back!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him.

"Uh, where did I go?"

"I don't know," Katara said as she pulled back to look at him. "You just got a vacant look on your face and started swimming to this island."

"Swimming?"

"Yeah. I've heard of sleepwalking before, but sleep _swimming_? That's new."

"Where are we?" Aang was still trying to wrap his mind around things.

"I'm not sure. This island just appeared out of nowhere, and you said something about it calling you." Katara sounded so matter-of-fact that Aang blinked at her for a few seconds, then burst out laughing.

"You say that like mysterious islands magically appear and summon people every day," he managed to say when his laughter subsided. "I think I'm having a bad influence on you." Katara smiled at him.

"I think Sokka would agree, but I'll risk it."

Aang flashed a grin back at her.

"So what we need to figure out is what this island is and why I'm here," he announced.

"What's the last thing you remember?" inquired Katara.

"I was meditating, and I heard this voice in my head. I don't remember what it said, but I woke up here." Aang looked down, biting his lip. "I think I know why I'm here, but I don't understand how it's going to help."

"What do you mean?"

Aang sighed heavily. This wasn't a subject that they'd broached openly before, but maybe it was time. Katara had a right to know about his doubts, and their being alone here seemed like the perfect opportunity.

"I was meditating about how to stop Azula permanently," he explained. "I don't…Katara, I don't want to become a killer."

Katara tilted her head at him, and he waited nervously to find out what she was thinking.

"She'd kill you without a thought, you know," she said finally, in a soft voice. "She almost did."

"I know that," Aang lowered his head. "But I don't believe you defeat the enemy by becoming them." Katara didn't answer for a long time. Instead, she looked down, twisting her hands in her lap.

"Would you think less of me if I told you that I want to kill her? That I've even daydreamed about it?" she said softly. Aang was a little taken aback by her bluntness, but deep in his heart, he'd known.

"No, I wouldn't," he told her honestly. "I understand." He remembered all too well the rage that had overcome him when he thought that mad Earth Kingdom general had buried Katara alive, so he had an idea how she must have felt seeing him shot down. He supposed someone could call the executions of Ozai and Azula justice for past wrongs, but he would not be the one to carry out that sentence. His predecessors might disagree, but he didn't think that was the Avatar's job.

"It's just…" Katara trailed off, then started again. "If it's a choice between her killing you or you killing her, I know which one I'd pick."

"I know, and I don't intend to let it get to that point." Aang paused, gathering his thoughts. "Katara, I was raised to revere all life. That's why I don't eat meat. I won't take a life intentionally."

"I understand, Aang." Katara took his hand, and he was amazed all over again at how well their hands seemed to fit together. He hoped that would continue to be true as he grew, and he wondered if anyone else ever thought about such things.

"You do?" Aang honestly hadn't expected her to accept his feelings this easily.

"Yes, I do. I love you, Aang, just the way you are. If you took this step, maybe you would change in ways neither of us would want. Maybe you wouldn't be a good Avatar anymore."

"You think I'm a good Avatar?"

"Possibly the best ever." Katara smiled and leaned in to kiss him. "Then again, I might be just the tiniest bit biased."

"Probably," he agreed with humility, but he couldn't help grinning back at her. No matter what he faced, any obstacle felt surmountable as long as she was beside him. All at once, he became aware of a low humming that felt like it resonated inside his skull, and he frowned. It had been there ever since he woke up, but he had ignored it in his panic of wondering where he was, followed by the pleasure of being with Katara.

"What is it?" Katara demanded, noting his change in expression.

"There's something…hang on." Aang had a suspicion, and he placed his hand firmly upon the ground and closed his eyes. When he had learned what he needed to, he looked at Katara, letting his astonishment show. "This isn't an island. It's alive!"

"Alive?"

"That's why it moves," Aang nodded. "It's some kind of giant creature." Katara whistled.

"And I thought Appa was huge!" she remarked.

"I need to find out what it is and what it wants from me," stated Aang, sure now of at least part of what he was supposed to do here.

"You know, I did notice something strange when we climbed out of the water," Katara said. "Follow me." She picked up Aang's glider, which she had apparently brought with her, and stood up. Aang was happy that she'd remembered it because there was a good chance they would need it. He followed her to edge of the creature and pointed down. Aang knelt to look, brushing away some dried seaweed. The surface beneath was a rough substance laid out in regular, hexagonal shapes.

"It looks like a really big turtle-duck shell," he commented.

"That's sort of what I thought, but I was too busy staying with you to pay much attention before."

"Well, I guess the best thing to do is try to find its head." Aang looked around, trying to judge the direction of movement. Squinting, he saw a spur of land in the distance and watched as it seemed to grow gradually closer. "That way." Now it was his turn to lead the way along the slope of shell. Finally, they burst out of the underbrush to see what was undeniably a large head poking up out of the water.

"Stay here," Aang instructed Katara. "I think I need to go alone." He made his way down to the edge and made an airbending leap to get onto the top of the head. He sent out mental notification of his presence, since this creature seemed to be able to communicate mind to mind. Very carefully, he stepped down onto a long snout. At long last, he realized that this was a gigantic lion-turtle. As he gazed into its enormous, yellow eyes, he felt their thoughts merge. Their communication did not take place in words, but the meaning in Aang's mind was clear. He couldn't have explained it, but their connection went somehow beyond words, like they were tapping directly into the bonds the Guru had said existed between all things. When he felt like he'd learned all he needed to, Aang bowed and thanked the lion-turtle before returning to Katara.

"Well?" she asked anxiously when he arrived, and Aang ordered his thoughts as best he could.

"First of all, it's a giant lion-turtle," he began. "He's really ancient, thousands of years old at least. We need to get up to the top of the shell again. He's going to go mostly underwater soon." Katara nodded that she understood, and as they made the trek, he explained what he had learned.

"Are you saying he's been around longer than the Avatar?" inquired Katara skeptically, sounding a little like her brother for the moment. "But there have been a thousand Avatars!"

"I wasn't too clear on that. Either he's been around that long, or it's some kind of species memory that gets passed on."

"And do you think you can do this…balancing of energies?"

"I have to," said Aang firmly. "It won't be easy, though. I'll still have to get Azula pinned down enough to use it."

"I'll be right there with you," Katara promised.

"I know." Aang hoped that all of the happiness he felt at that simple knowledge showed in those two small words. "We should probably try to go back to sleep."

"You really want to sleep now?" Katara seemed incredulous, and Aang laughed, thinking of how rare their time alone had been in recent weeks. It would be nice to be able to enjoy this a little more.

"Not really, and I'm not sure I can, but I think we should try," he responded. They reached the crest of the lion-turtle's shell, and he stopped short. "What about Zuko? And Appa?"

"I told Zuko to fly directly to the Fire Nation with Appa if we weren't back by dawn," she reassured him. "He should meet us there."

"I guess that's settled, then." Aang relaxed and sat down. "Katara, I want you to know, that if this is to be my last night—"

"Don't talk like that," she interrupted as she sat in front of him. She had cut him off like that on the Day of Black Sun, too, but he pressed on.

"Well, if it is, I'm glad I'm getting to spend it with you."

"Me too," she whispered, and they shared a goodnight kiss. To Aang's surprised delight, Katara curled up quite close, with her back to him. He lay on his side behind her, pillowing his head on one arm. Leaving a couple of inches between their bodies, he hesitantly reached his other arm around her waist and was gratified to feel her twine her fingers with his. He closed his eyes, and inhaling the familiar scent of her hair, he felt like he was home.

--

Author's Note: If Aang had to do the lion-turtle thing when he did it, I would have liked to see Katara join him and have a shippy experience like this. After the disaster of EIP and their brief blowup earlier in the finale, it would have been a nice opportunity for them to reconnect.

Review responses:

Sparrow Logan: Yes, you guessed right about spirit bending playing a role. As for the rest, I'm still working out the details in my mind, but I've got a lot of it figured out.

musiclover9419: Thank you, and a little more Azula here. The next chapter will have several shorter segments again, as different groups and individuals prepare for battle.

Katsumara: Yeah, the email notifications were slow when I posted the last chapter, and then I got several reviews privately long before they showed up on the review board. Glad you understand about Azula.

The Dreaming Moon: Sorry to sort of make you wait, then!

Atem's Sister Atea: Actually, I think it would be easier to just launch straight up than maintain a steady altitude while moving in one direction for 20 feet, but anyway, it looked more like 40 or 50 yards to me. Regardless, fire has no mass, unlike the other elements, which means it can't really push anything.

Mister Wonderful: That would make sense, except that the first time we saw Azula use the technique was in The Boiling Rock, weeks before the comet, although she then didn't seem to use it to catch herself when she came after Zuko at the Western Air Temple and fell off the balloon. Again, inconsistency.

Monte-chan: Yep, Mai and Ty Lee are still around. What I liked most about The Southern Raiders was that the characters besides Katara and Zuko actually got to be in it. I agree with you on the bloodbending and didn't like that Aang's advice had apparently no impact on Katara.

imbored9397: Fire has no mass, so it can't fight a force like gravity. You can use lightning to explode a tree or rock and use the concussion to propel you briefly. Rockets take off because the compressed fuel inside has to expand as it burns, forcing it out and the rocket in the opposite direction.

Tetsu Deinonychus: Thanks for explaining that was you. You have a good point about Zuko just taking over when he had the chance. I hope you're not disappointed that I brought in the lion-turtle as well. I didn't think it was really a Deus Ex Machina because that would have been if the lion-turtle actually swept in and defeated the Firelord himself.


	30. Chapter 30: Race to Destiny

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: This and possibly one or two succeeding chapters are difficult for me because I have to shift from scene to scene to imitate the cutting that would occur in a television episode. I want to convey the idea that a number of things are happening all at once. I will probably devote more time to individual battles once I get there, but this is my way of building suspense and anticipation.

**Race to Destiny**

They were not coming back. Zuko came to this realization shortly after he awakened in the first light of dawn. He could not actually see the sun from his location on the island, but as a firebender, he was sensitive to its rising and setting. He looked across the ocean spread out before him to the horizon and confirmed that the island he'd seen vaguely the night before was no longer there. He might have thought the whole thing was a crazy dream, but Aang, Katara, and Momo were all clearly absent as well.

"All right, Appa, wake up," he urged his one remaining companion. "We have to get going." A shadow passed overhead, and Zuko looked up to find its cause. He stood paralyzed with awe as two dragons flew over him, one red and one blue. Naturally, he'd never seen a dragon in the flesh before, and their dangerous beauty was beyond description.

Uncle Iroh was clinging to the spines on the red one's back, and Zuko instinctively raised a hand to him, even though he was almost certain Iroh couldn't see him. His interview with the dragons had obviously gone well. All that remained was for Zuko to get on this flying bison and head toward the Fire Nation.

"Appa!" he shouted, adding a slap to the side of the bison's head. When Appa still seemed reticent, Zuko said the only thing he could think of that would get the beast's attention. "Aang needs us!"

That got results. Appa raised his head, yawned, and got ponderously to his feet. Belatedly, it occurred to Zuko that he would have been better off getting onto Appa's head _before_ he stood up. The prince quickly scrambled up one leg and onto the saddle, making his way from there to the head. He took up the reins firmly in his hands. He wasn't entirely sure what to do with them, but he hoped it was fairly similar to guiding an ostrich-horse.

"Off to the Fire Nation we go," he muttered. Then, in a stronger voice: "Yip yip."

***

Riding a dragon was not as easy as it looked, and truthfully, it didn't look all that easy. Iroh clung to the red dragon's spines for dear life, locking his legs around the sinuous body as tightly as he could. He was extremely glad that he'd worked himself into shape, but he was still guaranteed to be stiff by the time he reached Ba Sing Se. He could only hope he would arrive in time to walk around and loosen up a bit before he had to jump into battle.

As exhilarating as it had been to ride Appa those first few times, Iroh discovered that transport via flying bison was calm and sedate compared to this new experience. He'd only looked down once, and his stomach lurched at the ocean speeding by. He now spent most of his time with his eyes squeezed shut. When he did dare to open them, it was to either look straight ahead or gaze with appreciation at the blue dragon by his side. He did enjoy watching their movements, knowing that the firebending he practiced was but a pale reflection of them.

There was no communication during this journey, which added to Iroh's discomfiture. Dragons were telepathic, but they needed to touch one of their antennae to a person in order to speak that way. It might be different if you were bonded to one dragon for life, as Roku and Sozin had been, but Iroh emphatically was not.

Therefore, their mode of communication was impossible while they moved at breakneck speed with Iroh on the back of one. That meant he had to trust them implicitly, and considering that he hardly knew them and his family had attempted to wipe out their species, this made him understandably nervous. Even assuming that he could trust them completely, it would have been more reassuring to be able to make rapid suggestions as they approached Ba Sing Se or to ask questions. As it was, there was nothing but his own mind to distract him from his precarious position.

Finally, a large stretch of land came into view, and Iroh knew that he was nearing his destination. As he drew closer, he saw that war balloons were arranged in formation. Apparently, he was just in time.

***

Katara woke up for the third time in about 12 hours, groggy and a little disoriented. She felt strangely bereft as well, and the reason for that feeling became clear when she rolled onto her back and stretched her arm out. Aang was no longer beside her. She sat up and was relieved to find him not far away. She paused for a minute or so to take in the sight.

Aang was standing in the morning sun with his back to her, Momo perched on one shoulder and his glider-staff in one hand. The breeze passing through the trees whipped his clothing lightly, and Katara thought, not for the first time, how comfortable and confident he looked when in his original element. He may have mastered the others, but air would always be his home.

Not wishing to disturb him, Katara stood up quietly and moved to stand beside him, gazing out in front of them as he was. Finally, however, she couldn't take the silence anymore.

"What are we looking at?" she asked, and Aang jumped high into the air, dropping his staff and ending up clinging to a tree trunk. Katara started backward as well, surprised as the extremity of his reaction. Seeing that it was only her, Aang slid down the tree.

"You startled me!" he exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "You usually know when I'm there."

"I guess I was distracted."

"So where are we?"

"Almost to the Fire Nation." Aang gestured out, and Katara finally made out the curved arc of land in the distance.

"Is that…?" she began.

"The capital city? Yep."

Katara was stunned. Not only did this lion-turtle move quickly, it had also managed to evade all of the island nation's defenses. Then again, she supposed no one would take much notice of a small clump of trees on the horizon, which was all that poked above the water at this point. Besides, some of the features that had been in place on the Day of Black Sun might have been specifically aimed at their invasion. Azula had known all about it, and she had planned very well against it, so the outer defenses might well have been part of that.

"We're not going to be able to get too much closer without being noticed," she remarked aloud, and Aang nodded solemnly.

"I think we'll have to take the glider," he agreed. "Can you hang on that long?"

Katara thought it over. She'd latched onto his glider a number of times to get out of danger, but this looked like it would be a longer trip. However, she had only her element beneath her between here and the volcanic island, and she was not afraid of that. Besides, this would mark the first time that she'd ridden with Aang since confessing that she loved him, and the thought of clinging close to him for an extended ride was not without its charm.

"I'll be fine," she assured him. "Just tell me when."

***

Sokka hid in the shadow of a pile of rock on the eastern side of Ba Sing Se, trying to watch the sky and land simultaneously. It would have been preferable for him not to be looking into the rising sun, but he realized that the Fire Nation was not planning its approach for his convenience. It was nearer for the Fire Nation forces to approach from the east rather than cross the entire Earth Kingdom to reach this location, and it was the route he would have chosen himself. He understood this and expected it, hence his electing to be at the position most likely to be on the front line of the upcoming battle. That didn't make having the sun in his eyes any more pleasant.

The people of the city had been informed yesterday that they had been liberated but that there was another invasion force on its way. Volunteers to defend the city had been collected and given assignments. Those who were not earthbenders had also been armed as well as could be managed. There was no time to train them to work as a team, which troubled Sokka, but there was no help for it. As the next best thing, he'd distributed the members of the Avatar team, the Kyoshi Warriors, and the Old Masters among the groups of new recruits.

Suki was positioned near him, and Sokka wouldn't have wanted anyone else watching his back. As they'd searched the palace compound for anything that might be useful, they had managed to recover three sets of Kyoshi warrior gear. The girls had elected not to don their uniforms, preferring to blend in with the crowd for this particular battle, but the war fans and parasols had been distributed among them, supplemented with other odds and ends they could find. Suki herself had chosen to go without her traditional weapons, instead claiming a belt with numerous loops and securing four sharp daggers by them.

There were spots in the sky that their scouts had confirmed were war balloons. They had remained moored while the ground troops caught up to them. Sokka shielded his eyes to get a better look. When he'd satisfied himself that the dots were, in fact, getting larger, he drew his sword and looked over at Suki. She nodded and readied two of her daggers, holding one up to catch the sunlight in a predetermined signal. The nearest allies would pass the message along, and hopefully, everyone would be ready by the time the Fire Nation arrived. If all went as planned, they wouldn't know what hit them until they were overwhelmed. Now, there was nothing to do but wait.

Sokka hated waiting.

***

Haru sat in a nondescript tavern in the middle of the Fire Nation palace city, sharing a meal with his father. It was so wonderful to be reunited with him once again. His father and Sokka's had been among the last to be freed, right here in the city. Despite the weeks of working surreptitiously here in enemy territory, Haru still felt it somewhat thrilling. It also gave him a chance to do for others what Katara, Sokka, and Aang had once done for him and the other earthbenders of his village.

Some of the prisoners they'd freed had elected to stay near their hometowns and get word to their families that they were safe. That was understandable, and Haru hoped that they were all right. Most, however, had agreed to join them as they worked their way steadily toward the capital. By stretching the money Katara had originally given them at Piandao's house and supplementing it with funds acquired from the families of the people they'd rescued, they'd somehow managed to feed and supply their growing number of followers.

Haru smiled a little as he remembered that journey. They had been constantly in danger, and it had grown harder to hide everyone. They'd needed to spread out, arranging meetings beforehand and developing a system of signals, both visual and audible, to communicate with each other. Between that and the regular raids on prisons, their ragtag team of rebels and dissidents had developed into a reasonably well-organized fighting force. By the time they'd reached their ultimate destination, the freeing of those prisoners from the assault on the Day of Black Sun who'd been deemed the most dangerous or valuable, the group was operating smoothly, and the entire operation went off without a hitch.

Somewhat to his surprise, Haru had found himself more or less in charge of things along the way. There had been no official announcement, but since Haru, Teo, and The Duke had started the whole thing, everyone looked to them for leadership. Teo was bright and The Duke brave, but they deferred to Haru. He was older, tall, strong, and an earthbender, though he didn't actually know whether all, part, or none of these characteristics played a role.

Since the recent prison break, however, Haru had been happy to cede his authority to Hakoda. The Water Tribe chief was more comfortable with command, particularly with leading the seasoned veterans that were now among their force. Besides, the core of their number now consisted mainly of his own warriors, so reporting to Hakoda made sense.

The various members of their improvised militia were now scattered around the city, waiting for the call to action. Haru and his companions had not had a clear idea what they were going to do _after_ freeing the prisoners of war and any others they thought might help them. They'd just had sort of a vague notion that they could pop up from hiding whenever Aang swept in to confront the Firelord. After Firelord Ozai, now The Phoenix King, had left the Fire Nation with a substantial portion of his army and navy, however, even this amorphous plan had largely fallen away.

This left them all in a bit of a predicament. Aang and the others would be in Ba Sing Se by now, and the fleet comprising both seafaring ships and airships was headed their way. There wasn't much Haru or his present allies could do about that, although the little that was within their power had been quickly planned and carried out. There had been no time to join the Fire Nation army, but a few members of their group had managed to get aboard the ships as cooks, serving staff, cabin boys, maintenance technicians, and the like. With luck, they would prove to be a strategic asset when the right moment arrived.

Meanwhile, Haru couldn't help wondering whether his friends knew about the approaching danger and how they were planning to respond if they did. Azula had been crowned Firelord and was now in charge here, but Haru didn't know if Aang or anyone would come to face her. Nonetheless, he couldn't shake the feeling that _something_ was going to happen soon, and he wanted to be ready.

***

Phoenix King Ozai stood proudly in the prow of the lead airship, the others keeping perfect formation to either side and behind. At last, it was in his power to fulfill the dream of his grandfather and become the ruler of the entire world.

Below him, the night's temporary encampment had been struck and packed with typical, military efficiency, and the ground troops swarmed across the land while the airships maintained their stately pace above.

When Ba Sing Se came into view, Ozai couldn't help the small frown that invaded his face. The city really did look less majestic without the walls around it. Now it was just a massive cluster of buildings that seemed haphazard and messy. If he were going to use this as the center of his new empire, he would have to do something about that. Perhaps some of the walls could be reconstructed, or maybe the entire city needed an overhaul. He would speak to the royal architects about it as soon as he got settled.

Ozai checked his formation again and was irritated to see that two of the airships on his right flank were falling back. He was about to bark out an order to be relayed to the errant ships when his attention was caught by something in the sky. This was no longer any doubt about the reason for the distraction of the crews on that side.

_It can't be_, was his first thought. But as the twisting shapes drew closer, it became clear that, in fact, it was. _They_ were, to be more precise. Only years of royal indoctrination prevented Ozai's mouth from dropping open as he witnessed something he had never seen or expected to.

A pair of dragons, one blue and one red, were flying directly toward him.

--

Author's Note: Cliffhanger! I think everyone is where they need to be, or at least on their way there. The battles will be engaged in the next chapter and may continue for another after that. I want to warn everyone that the next chapter might be late. Next week is pretty crazy, followed by a holiday weekend, so I'm not sure I'll have much time to write or be available to post anything.

Review responses:

Sparrow Logan: Hey, if there's an opening, I'm going to make it Kataangy.:) Thanks!

musiclover9419: I did think the battle of wills was appropriately dramatic and suspenseful. I would just like to have seen what was going on in Aang's head at the time.

Katsumara: Yes, the 2nd half of Season 3 definitely needed more shipping than just Sukka. That last chapter pretty well covered the Lion-Turtle conversation; I changed it a little so that he doesn't exactly speak in words.

Amber Pegasus: Romance indeed.

JKArcanus: I know, right? A perfect opportunity for shipping, and the show just let it blow right by. It reminded me (and not in a good way) of the Ron/Hermione ship opportunities that were allowed to pass unremarked in The Order of the Phoenix. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

SilverKyo: I know what you mean; I got the feeling that Mike & Brian were already thinking about their next project and didn't pay much attention to concluding Avatar. As for Koh, I was just trying to follow up The Siege of the North and Escape from the Spirit World. It will be months before he can manifest in the world again, but I guess that could provide material for a possible sequel.

The Dreaming Moon: Thank you. I do like Zuko, just not with Katara.

arizony: As always, thank you very much. The characters have been real to me since the end of Season 1, so I try to write them that way.

Private LL Church: Thanks. I agree with you on all points. The show had some excellent material to work with and somehow failed to bring it all together at the end. And Azula did seem more powerful and cunning than Ozai, which made her a tough act to follow.

Atem's Sister Atea: Yes, only time will tell. Firelord Azula has some challenges to face. The comet's arrival will actually be kind of an anticlimax because everything will already be settled by then.

Tetsu Deinonychus: That's okay, and I hope you've started college smoothly. Your points are well taken, and I thought about bringing up Aang striking down that hornet-buzzard thing in the desert, but there are time constraints to consider.


	31. Chapter 31: Battle is Joined

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: It did take a while, but I hope the wait proves worth it. Action takes such a long time to describe!

**Battle is Joined**

Zuko was nervous about approaching the Fire Nation from the air with only Appa. There was no one to camouflage their approach with fog or clouds, and he didn't have any experience with evasive maneuvers of this kind. Presumably, Appa was intelligent enough to avoid most projectiles on his own, but Zuko wasn't confident that the bison would necessarily remember to make sure he still had a rider when they reached their destination.

Miraculously, however, no one shot at them as they flew over the Fire Nation's largest island. Perhaps all attention was focused in the other direction, towards Ba Sing Se, or his father had taken enough soldiers with him that the perimeter stations could no longer be fully manned. Certainly, with the entire Earth Kingdom to manage, the military must be thinly spread by now. There was also the possibility that his sister was not expecting any real threat to arrive.

_Or_, Zuko thought sourly, _she's_ _got something special planned and is luring me in_. That was, perhaps, the most likely scenario, but he had little choice but to face whatever awaited him. The only thing he could do was be ready for it to be a trap.

He brought Appa down in a lazy spiral as he determined the best place to land. He decided upon the garden in the back, beside the turtle-duck pond. No one seemed to be there, and it was quiet and unguarded. He dismounted quickly and stood ready, checking the area with all senses.

"Stay here," he admonished the flying bison. "If anything attacks you, fly away." He really didn't want to be responsible for getting Aang's animal companion injured.

Zuko took one cautious step after another. About halfway to the doors, he heard a soft, whooshing noise. He instantly dropped flat to the ground as several sharp knives flew over him. Without even looking to find out either where they'd landed or from where they'd come, he rolled backward. When Ty Lee flipped from the right to land directly in front of him, Zuko was ready. He brought up both of his feet and kicked hard, catching her in the stomach and forcing her away from him. While she struggled to catch her breath, he rolled again, this time to the side, and several arrows buried themselves into the ground where he'd just been. He drew his swords as he came up onto one knee.

"I'm flattered, Mai," he called dryly, still keeping one eye on Ty Lee. "Unleashing your entire arsenal on one man?" He knew that she had probably not used quite half of her ammunition yet, but she'd done it fast enough that the rest would follow quickly if she kept this pace. Mai stepped out from behind a pillar near the doors and regarded him coldly.

"For the man who broke my heart, it's not nearly enough," she said flatly. She raised one of her hands to throw again, and Zuko dove behind a shrub. Mai appeared to have anticipated that, however, as the knife slid between the branches and narrowly missed his shoulder. At times like this, he really missed his armor. It might have been heavy, uncomfortable, and required help to put on, but it did protect against things like this.

Knowing that Ty Lee would soon recover and come after him again, Zuko shifted both of his swords to one hand and set the shrub in front of him on fire. He used it for both cover and a distraction as he took off at a dead run toward the palace.

***

Iroh's heart rose into his throat when the dragons veered off of their course toward Ba Sing Se to fly instead at the airship formation.

_No, not yet!_ he thought frantically. _Let me get my legs under me first_. However, the dragons could not hear him, and he didn't think they would notice even if he shouted. At this point, he wasn't sure they would listen to him even if he could find a way to communicate.

Iroh could understand that the dragons might wish revenge. He had been grateful ever since first meeting them that they had not held the crimes of his ancestors against him. Ozai, however, not only represented but seemed to revel in and wish to continue the excesses and violence of his father and grandfather. Iroh didn't blame the world's first firebenders for being a little single-minded in pursuing his brother, any more than he would have blamed Avatar Aang if he'd wanted to wipe out the entire Fire Nation for killing his people. That the young Avatar did not wish any such thing spoke well of his character, in Iroh's opinion.

_I'm not trained for aerial combat, _Iroh thought morosely as the dragons sped on, but he decided he'd better learn quickly. It looked like he was going to be literally carried into this battle whether he liked it or not. Forcing his breathing into a deep and slow rhythm to avert panic, he sat up a little and looked around. The first airships in line were beginning to fall back, no doubt a response to the pair of monsters approaching them, but the dragons ignored them in their inexorable progress toward the lead ship.

As he drew closer, Iroh could see his younger brother standing and watching in the prow, a phoenix-shaped crown encircling his head. Ozai turned and began issuing orders, and Iroh surmised that he had been recognized.

The dragons split up and breathed fire onto the large balloon, causing Iroh to wonder what sort of safety measures were in place if the ship started to crash to the ground. Seagoing vessels had lifeboats, but what would be the equivalent in the air? Iroh did not really know much about these airships, since they'd only been constructed recently, and he'd never been in one. Sokka had explained the general principle of how they operated, so Iroh knew that the fire would initially maintain the heat of the air inside, temporarily keeping the airship aloft. However, if the fires were not quickly extinguished, the holes they'd burn in the fabric would release enough of the air that it would have to sink. From the looks of things, that could be a slow process, and they had not been flying very high, but a fall could still be dangerous.

Iroh's question was answered before long. A number of gliders began appearing out from the lower levels of the hull, as well as some other contraptions that were essentially large pieces of fabric held by some sort of handles to either side. They were constructed to be flexible yet maintain enough rigidity to catch the air. Nobody would be able to control the air currents as Aang could, of course, but both methods would slow their descent to the ground enough that it should be relatively safe. It was a bit like carrying a horizontal sail.

As his dragon circled around the burning ship, Iroh saw Ozai take firm hold of one of these sky-sails and launch himself off of the prow. The red dragon didn't seem to need direct communication to know what had to be done next. He descended rapidly enough for Iroh's ears to pop, landing and allowing his passenger to dismount. Iroh's legs felt like jelly as he stood unsteadily, and he took the opportunity of his advance arrival on the ground to walk around and loosen up.

Soon enough, Ozai made his own landing perhaps thirty yards away. He cast aside his sky-sail, also removing his crown and robe. Iroh took off his tunic as well, displaying his newly-honed upper body. Both of them knew what was coming.

"So you lied about the last dragon," Ozai greeted his elder brother in a bored tone. However, he was eyeing Iroh with a detectable amount of apprehension, and Iroh smiled inwardly.

_Not quite the soft, old man you were expecting? _he thought.

"To preserve something noble, yes," he confessed aloud in answer to Ozai's question.

"Are you finally deciding to challenge me for your birthright?"

"No, for Zuko's," Iroh explained simply. "But you're right about one thing – I should have challenged you long ago."

"Agni Kai, then?" asked Ozai, already pulling himself into a firebending ready stance.

"Agni Kai," his brother agreed, taking up his own position. The two dragons swirled around them, engaging in some form of dragon firebending that Iroh had never seen. Red-hot liquid came bubbling up from the earth, creating a ring of lava around the combatants. Apparently, the dragons were not planning to interfere and wanted to make certain no one else would, either. The lava would eventually cool and become earth, but Iroh intended for this battle to be well over before that happened.

Meanwhile, a shout sounded from the west, and a massive group of bodies came charging from the city to meet the Fire Nation's ground troops.

***

Suki had been just as dumbfounded as everyone else when the two dragons had appeared. Even though she'd known the plan and had therefore been more or less expecting them to show up, the reality was a truly awesome sight. However, the dragons were now retreating back into the sky, and she got the distinct feeling that it was time for those hidden in and around the city to step up and take their part in the events that were unfolding today.

Sokka apparently felt the same way because he let out a yell and raised his sword. He charged across the open ground toward the enemy. Suki was right behind him, and they were quickly joined by the rest of their fighting force.

Dodging around the lava that the dragons had used to clearly delineate a dueling arena, Suki threw two daggers in rapid succession and drew the other two in preparation for close combat. A part of her would really have liked to watch Iroh facing his younger brother at long last, but she had her own job to do, and she couldn't spare that much attention from it.

Sokka was busy engaging two Fire Nation soldiers wielding halberds, which presented a challenge due to their extended reach. Others of their allies were skirmishing all around. Keeping Sokka in sight in case he needed her, Suki ducked, spun, and sliced her way through the battlefield. Wherever she went, she left hamstrung legs and sliced ribcages in her wake, taking advantage of the few open spots in typical Fire Nation armor.

Eventually, Suki reached a clear area and paused to catch her breath. She surveyed the scene to decide where to go next, and something strange caught her eye. The enemy troops were being set upon from _behind_. None of the improvised army in the city could possibly have gotten that far, so she sharpened her focus to see if she could figure out what was happening.

The unexpected allies were definitely not among those she and Sokka had helped to round up and brief in Ba Sing Se. Some of them even looked like they might be native to the Fire Nation, although none of them were wearing uniforms. At least that would make it relatively easy to distinguish friend from foe – she would hate to accidentally attack someone who was on their side.

Suddenly, she remembered something that Sokka had said about the three boys who had originally escaped with him, Aang, Katara, and Toph on the Day of Black Sun. There had been something about those three remaining in the Fire Nation for the past few weeks, rounding up war prisoners and dissatisfied peasants to assist in the final assault. It appeared that they had been successful.

Suki fell back to inform Sokka of this development. Seeing a couple of her warriors, she told them as well, hoping that the word would spread through the ranks of the city's defenders. Then she plunged into the fray again, calling out a cheerful greeting to a couple of her newfound comrades-in-arms as she moved to help them in any way she could.

***

Getting situated for the glider flight was not as easy as Aang had anticipated, but they eventually worked it out. Katara lay across Aang's back with her legs wrapped around his hips, which allowed him enough freedom of movement to rest his feet upon the tail support, granting them both stability. Katara's hands gripped the front handlebars beside Aang's, and they rode smoothly across the water.

Under most circumstances, feeling Katara's body pressed behind him like this would have been very distracting for Aang, but he was forced to concentrate enough on the air currents and balancing their combined weight that only a small corner of his mind remained continuously aware of their closeness.

As expected, fireballs and volleys of arrows began to attack the pair when they crossed the boundary of the Fire Nation's main island, but there wasn't as much resistance as Aang had thought there would be. Calling out a warning to his passenger, he tilted and banked the glider as needed to avoid the incoming missiles.

After a harrowing minute or so, they left the barrage behind them and winged their way into the caldera in which the palace city nestled. Aang circled around the city's center once before descending to the large courtyard that spread out in front of the main doors of the palace. Only a few halfhearted fireballs whizzed by them, and when Aang landed, he saw why there had been no further opposition. Azula stood in the middle of the courtyard, giving a placating gesture to her guards. Katara climbed from Aang's back, and he tossed the glider off to the side. He needed his hands free for this.

"I had the feeling you were type to not give up," said Azula, smiling smugly but with her gaze fixed firmly upon Aang. "No matter the odds against you. I suppose I'll just have to kill you for good this time."

Aang sensed the anger from Katara before she brought her bending water to bear, and he stretched out his arm to stop her from doing anything foolish. It was his destiny to face Azula, and he was determined that the waterbender not make herself a target.

"I challenge you to an Agni Kai," he announced. Azula's eyes glittered, and a feeling of unease passed through him.

"So you'll only use firebending?" she asked archly. Katara gasped, and Aang grimaced. He'd forgotten that the Agni Kai was only for firebending duels. He quickly reviewed his options. On the one hand, if he agreed to these terms, he'd be hampering himself by only using the one form of bending he was least familiar with. This would clearly give the princess – no, _Firelord_ – an advantage, but Katara would be off-limits, as well as Appa and Zuko, who might appear at any time.

On the other hand, he could rescind the Agni Kai challenge and engage in a full bending battle. While that would make it more likely that Aang could win, it would also virtually guarantee that Katara's presence would be used against him, at best. At worst, she could be injured or even killed. The battle would also almost certainly turn into a massive brawl when everybody else showed up. He wasn't exactly sure who "everybody else" might be, but Zuko and Appa, at least, were expected, and Mai and Ty Lee couldn't be far away. In addition, Haru, Teo, and The Duke had planned to organize some sort of resistance, and it was possible that they were somewhere nearby as well.

Aang chewed his lip, knowing that Katara would not approve what he was about to do, but he knew what his answer had to be.

"I'll obey the rules as long as you do," he promised Azula, spreading his legs into the standard firebending stance he'd been taught.

"Aang, no!" Katara shouted, throwing herself forward to grab his arm. Aang did not take his eyes off of Azula.

"I'm sorry, Katara," he said, shaking off her grip. "I have to do this." As she reluctantly stepped away from him, he risked a glance at her and added one more thing. "Watch out." He didn't trust Azula at all and had no doubt that she would break the rules the first time she thought it would gain her the upper hand. Aang only hoped he could hold out that long. He reasoned that he could use the Avatar State if he felt pressed. Now that he controlled it, he could make sure to use only firebending, which he thought should technically be allowable. Still, he would have to be very careful about it.

As soon as Katara and the guardsmen had opened up a large circle for the combatants, blue and red fire met in the first exchange.

--

Author's Note: Wow, this is a lot to cover. There is some convergence beginning here and resuming in the next chapter, which should make things a little easier for me.

Review responses: Quick thank you to MyLifeIsaBook for finally getting around to reviewing!

Sparrow Logan: I'm afraid not. It will take Koh some time to recover, so he's withdrawn to his cave to lick his wounds. After all, time runs differently for the spirits.

musiclover9419: Well, I certainly hope the effect will be epic, but I'm making no claims. My only motivation in writing this is to conclude the series in a manner that I, personally, would have found more satisfying.

Katsumara: No, I'm not a machine, and I do have limitations. I have to balance the Kataang with the rest of the story, and don't worry, there's more of that couple to come. I'm happy you enjoyed the last chapter.

Amber Pegasus: I certainly hope so!

Private LL Church: Well, that's nice to hear. I hope that my scene-shifting is still working smoothly.

Infernal-Sky: Wow; thank you very much! You said a lot of what I felt in the third season – that the series had a large amount of wonderful raw material that the writers failed to develop into the epic finished product it could have been.

pachysam: You have some interesting ideas, and one or two may yet be addressed. However, as I do not wish for this story to go on too much longer, I can't possibly incorporate everything.

DJNS: Obviously, I agree completely. For such a fresh and original show to suddenly fall into the classic television series trap of "we have to wait until the end to get the main couple together" was disappointing, to say the least.

Marisol Maza: Well, thank you. I think that romance is definitely my strong suit, and relationships generally are what draw me into a work of fiction, be it film, television, book, or play.

imbored9397: Good; hope you're still enjoying it!

Azula's Favorite Prisoner: Should I call you Suki, then? Thank you so much! With the way I seem to be able to write other people's characters, I'm starting to think I missed my calling – I should have been a television writer. You know, the one they bring in to mix things up for the third season.

Monte-Chan: I said splitting the scenes so much was difficult for me to write, not that I couldn't pull it off in the end, although I am always nervous about the reception. And I do hope to have the walls rebuilt while taking measures to prevent too much control from falling into the hands of too few.

Atem's Sister Atea: Some of the battles are coming over the horizon now, but it took me longer than I expected to really set them up and get started. Action is very difficult and time-consuming to write. Glad you're liking it, though!

Tetsu Deinonychus: Well, that's good. Thanks for mentioning the bit about Katara startling Aang. That just popped into my head one day, and I thought it would make a fun detail. Glad college has started off well, and the homework usually tapers off, but you have to learn to pace yourself for studying and such.

chirp chirp: Thank you. Since you seemed to have read the last chapter this week, I guess I didn't make you wait too long, right?


	32. Chapter 32: Duels

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: This chapter focuses mainly on interactions between two characters, although there are some side bits as well. You will soon see that the title has multiple meanings.

**Duels**

Zuko kept his gaze firmly fixed on the double set of doors, fervently wishing that the doors did not open outwards. However, wishing wouldn't make it so. Therefore, he had no choice upon vaulting up the two steps but to pause and jerk the door open as quickly as possible. His speed and probably sheer boldness had apparently surprised Mai, as she did not respond. Not quickly enough, anyway.

Throwing his weight against the door to hold it open, Zuko used his now-free hand to grasp Mai by one wrist and pull her in after him. He did not really view her as a threat now. First of all, ranged combat was her area of expertise, and secondly, he was convinced that she hadn't really been trying to hurt him. If she had, she would have started with the arrows instead of the knives; he would have had less warning of the attack.

He pressed Mai firmly but gently against the wall inside and allowed the door to drift closed as he moved closer to her. He did owe her an apology, and he might as well get it out of the way now. Besides, it gave his eyes time to adjust to the torch-lit hall.

"I'm sorry about the way I left," he said in a tone that was low but intense.

"A letter?" Mai hissed, interrupting what he was going to say next. "Of all things, a _letter_?"

"I couldn't take the chance of anyone finding out I was leaving until I was gone," Zuko tried to explain. Except his father, of course, who was the only one he'd needed to face directly.

"I wouldn't have told Azula," she bit out, but Zuko noticed that she didn't seem surprised to learn that he hadn't trusted her. At that moment, Ty Lee burst in. Zuko released Mai long enough to bring his swords up into a guard position. Ty Lee's gaze flicked between the two of them.

"Okay, it looks like my work here is done," the insufferably cheerful girl stated, already backing down the hallway. "I can tell you've got things well in hand. I'm just going to…" With that, she turned and fled, and Zuko returned his attention to Mai.

"I would have come with you," said Mai then, and Zuko searched her face to find the truth behind her words. That had been the main reason he hadn't told her he was leaving. Half of him had been afraid she'd refuse to come with him; the other half had been afraid that she'd agree. Perhaps that was how he had realized that there wasn't as much between them as he'd thought. If he'd truly believed in their relationship, he'd have had no doubts. Finally, he shook his head.

"You don't know that, and neither do I," he contradicted her. "I had to choose my own path, and you were free to choose yours."

"I loved you," she whispered, and though he noticed the past tense, he didn't remark on it.

"Did you?" he asked instead. "Did you really?" Her eyes narrowed.

"How can you ask me that?" she demanded.

"How can I ask? I'll tell you. Three years, Mai. Three years! Not a word from you…what was I supposed to think?"

"I…my father…I couldn't."

At last, Zuko backed away, although he kept his guard up. If Mai had really loved him, she would have found a way to communicate with him during the long years of his exile; he was sure of it. He'd been watching Aang and Katara for months now, even before he'd joined them, and he now knew what love was supposed to be. He'd also reunited with his uncle and mother, and he had new friends. He was no longer so starved for affection as he'd once been.

"When I showed up in Ba Sing Se, on the 'right' side again, you just wanted to pick things up where we left off," he observed. "But I'm not the same person I was when I was thirteen, and I don't even know you anymore. We were only together as long as it was convenient. For both of us."

She looked down, mutely granting him the point, even if her pride wouldn't allow her to say so.

"I'm sorry," he said again, and he really meant it, but he knew that his path lay in a different direction. He backed away a few steps before turning to make his way unerringly through the corridors. He still had an appointment to keep, and he hoped he wasn't too late.

***

Toph was in her element – literally. She was among the last line of defense before the boundary where the outer walls once shielded the city, catching those soldiers who broke through the front lines. The position suited her perfectly. She chose her timing carefully, conserving energy by making sure as many assailants as possible were within range of each of her attacks before she acted.

There were other earthbenders fighting, of course, although most of them were either young or not strongly talented. Toph worked better alone in any case, preferring to have an open field before her and avoid the possibility of accidentally trapping or knocking down some of her allies. She locked people in rock, caused treacherous earthquakes, and shoved earth around with abandon, and the feeling was exhilarating. As much as she'd enjoyed the Earth Rumble competitions, she'd never been allowed the free rein she had on a real battlefield. Some part of her knew that she probably shouldn't be enjoying it quite so much, but she just couldn't help it.

All at once, the attackers briefly halted their forward movement, granting her a respite. Toph frowned, getting the sense that everyone's attention was aimed toward the sky and wondering what they could be looking at. Everyone already knew that the airships were there. Finally, she heard the cry of "dragons" ripple through the crowd, and she smiled as she understood. Iroh had managed to enlist the help of the last living dragons.

Some of the soldiers began pressing forward again, but shortly afterwards, Toph could sense something odd off to her right and well away from the city. That she could feel it from so far away with so much going on around her was evidence of the magnitude of the disturbance in the earth. It was like there was a sudden softness in the ground, sending out strange vibrations somewhat reminiscent of waves lapping on the shore.

Toph shrugged, deciding that it was none of her concern. She experienced a flicker of wondering about how Zuko was doing right now, but she quickly set that concern aside as well. She had a job to do, and she got back to doing it.

***

Ursa burst through the lines of Fire Nation soldiers and stopped short when she reached the river of lava. She could cross it by using firebending, of course, but she paused to decide whether to do so or not. The battle between Ozai and Iroh had already begun, and it was considered very bad form to interrupt an Agni Kai. Then again, she hadn't been a resident of the Fire Nation for years, and under the circumstances, she thought she could be forgiven for a lapse in etiquette.

Making her decision, Ursa controlled enough of the lava to slide her across to the interior without burning her feet.

"Wait!" she called out, careful not to get into the middle of the firefight while still trying to get the two brothers' attention. "Stop!"

Iroh hesitated first, but when Ozai saw Ursa, he stood completely still and stared at her.

"Ursa?" he said at last.

"Were you hoping I was dead?" she chided. She could feel the attitude of the princess seeping into her once more.

"This is our fight, Ursa," Iroh said mildly from behind her, and she nodded.

"I know that," she agreed. "I just had a few things to say to my _husband_ before this duel continues."

"And what are those?" Ozai demanded, his arrogance as sharp as she remembered.

"I married you for the same reason you married me; for the future of the Fire Nation," she informed him. "I did what I had to to protect Zuko, and in doing that, I gave you everything you ever wanted and accepted estrangement from my children and homeland. And how did you repay me? By disfiguring our son and assigning him an impossible mission in exile."

"You may still claim him if you wish, but he is my son no longer," he informed her coldly.

"You think it's so easy to claim that? At this very moment, the Avatar is challenging our daughter for her right to rule. If he and Iroh both prevail today, you and Azula will be deposed, at least. The only one who will be able to take up the mantle is Zuko." As she spoke, Ozai's face darkened, but he managed to contain his rage for the moment.

"The Avatar might have gone to fight Azula, but he'll never reach her," he said disdainfully. "She is well protected."

"Not really, considering that you brought most of the army and navy with you," Iroh pointed out. "Those that weren't already guarding portions of the Earth Kingdom."

Dawning realization finally penetrated Ozai's expression. He had been overconfident, and his forces were spread too thinly. He and his daughter would pay the price. However, it was too late for him to do anything about it.

"I don't owe you any explanations for what I did," he told Ursa.

"Don't you?" she retorted, voice dripping with her disgust. "I can guess, anyway. He was always kind and caring at heart, and you thought to beat that out of him."

"He was weak!" Ozai spat. "Perhaps I ought to appreciate his finally growing a backbone, except that he used it to defy me. He's committed treason."

"Hmph," Ursa snorted. "You didn't think so poorly of treason when getting your father out of the way was to your advantage."

"I didn't actually do anything."

"You were complicit."

"Zuko came to tell me the whole truth during the eclipse, when he knew I couldn't fight him," Ozai went on. "He's a coward and not worthy of the crown."

"Not worthy," Ursa shook her head disbelievingly. "That was the only time he could be sure you'd listen!"

"I even challenged him to kill me with his swords, while I couldn't fight back," he continued as though she hadn't interrupted, and Ursa's eyes widened. Zuko hadn't told her that part. "He refused, spouting some nonsense about destiny. Then he was gone, and I haven't laid eyes on him since. I don't intend to, either."

"Oh, I think I can guarantee that," Ursa smiled faintly. She would never give the Phoenix King the chance to harm her son again. "If you happen to survive this day, I want a divorce." With that, she felt that she had said her piece and strode off across the lava on the opposite side. Divorces were extremely rare, but she believed that she had adequate justification. For everything she'd already sacrificed, the least she could ask for was a measure of freedom for the remainder of her life.

***

Katara stood nervously watching while Aang and Azula exchanged firebending salvos. The two were so far apart that she had to stand fairly far away to keep both of them in view. In addition, she was uncomfortable having any of the guards behind her, so she'd chosen to stand against the low wall that surrounded the courtyard, slightly behind Aang and to the right.

Despite having watched a number of Aang's lessons, it was impossible for Katara to tell whether either of the combatants had the upper hand. She knew that Aang possessed more raw power, even though he still showed some reluctance to use it. However, Azula had received far more training, was completely ruthless, and her crazy blue firebending had not ceased to give Katara chills. There was something so cold and calculating about it, much like Azula herself. Aang's firebending was no less dangerous, but it felt somehow warm and welcoming – like Aang was.

Katara frowned as she thought about that, wondering if it was common for an individual's firebending to represent who they were. She'd never noticed anything in particular about Zuko's fire. In his hands, it was something neutral, merely a means to an end.

Neither of the pair had used lightning yet, and though Katara didn't know how long that might last, she was glad for it. Being close to Aang both physically and emotionally over the past few weeks had helped to ease her fears, but she still occasionally woke to nightmares of the last time Azula had used lightning on him. If she even showed signs of doing it again, Katara did not think a herd of flying bison could keep her out of the fight. She was having enough difficulty suppressing her gasps when an especially strong blue fireblast nearly broke through to touch Aang – he didn't need any distractions right now.

Aang had managed to learn lightning during their journey to Ba Sing Se, which made Katara feel a little better. She couldn't say that he had mastered it, exactly, and his efforts certainly weren't as powerful as she'd seen from Iroh or Azula, but he could summon lightning when he wished and release it in the general direction he was aiming. This had irritated Zuko somewhat when he'd learned of it, since he apparently still had trouble with the technique.

Katara had actually not been surprised by the fact that Aang took to lightning more easily than Zuko. According to Iroh, lightning required calm and balance, which Aang was much better at achieving than Zuko. The prince might have left much of his anger and rage behind, but he still felt that he had something to prove, even if he was no longer certain to _whom_. His fear of failure and lingering feelings of inadequacy conspired to limit him far more than his natural abilities did.

The waterbender risked a look around and realized that a crowd was beginning to gather to watch the show. It wasn't really surprising, when she thought about it. This one battle could well decide the fate of this nation, as well as the world, so anyone who could be available to observe would want to be.

A movement near the palace caught Katara's eye, and she shifted her glance in that direction. Ty Lee stepped out of the double doors into the sunshine. After blinking a few times, she appeared startled to see the Agni Kai in progress but made no attempt to get involved. Instead, she sat down on the second step from the top and merely watched.

A short time later, Zuko appeared through the same door, followed soon after by Mai. Except for Appa, who must surely be nearby, all of the key players appeared to have arrived. Mai stopped in front of the doors, but Zuko descended to the courtyard and stood there uncertainly. None of the three seemed inclined to fight each other, but Katara had the distinct feeling that something had occurred between them already.

Meanwhile, the battle raged on.

***

The Duke peered between two guards, trying to get a good look at the action. It was pretty exciting; he'd never seen such powerful firebending before. He wasn't sure what to do next, and he didn't think any of his companions did, either. It was clear that this was a duel between two individuals, but once word of Aang's arrival had reached Hakoda, the Water Tribe chief had urged everyone to get there. It was not too difficult to blend into the crowd that was gradually making their way to the spectacle of the Avatar facing the Firelord, although The Duke was a little annoyed that he'd had to remove his helmet in order not to stand out.

The Duke glanced around. His eyes lit on Pipsqueak, and he smiled. It had been good to be reunited with the other freedom fighter; there had been times before freeing him that The Duke almost wished he'd allowed himself to be captured so that there would have been a chance they could have been together.

Other allies he recognized were scattered around, and The Duke looked back to the courtyard. Katara stood across the way, and she looked worried. The Duke suspected that she was wishing she could get involved in this fight. He'd never known a girl as fierce as her.

The Duke also noticed two women and Prince Zuko standing in front of the doors that led into the palace. He didn't know when they'd arrived, but he knew they hadn't been there when he first got here. That was interesting.

Haru and his father seemed to agree with Hakoda in thinking that their presence might be needed here. The Duke assumed that the signal would be obvious, if it came, so he was content to wait, keeping his eyes on the fire that moved back and forth across the courtyard in front of him.

Then, the moment came.

--

Author's Note: I know, I'm evil. But I want to pack so much into the next chapter that I thought this was a good place to break it up. I'll try to have the next one done sooner, but no promises.

Review responses:

Katsumara: In order not to get bogged down in description, I'm tending to write a lot of the battles from the perspective of outsiders and let the readers fill in the details. I hope that will work for you.

Amber Pegasus: Thanks!

Private LL Church: I thought I explained that pretty well in the last three chapters, but in a nutshell, A) the Avatar State is risky because if he's killed in that state, the Avatar cycle will cease (and Azula nearly did that last time), and B) the Agni Kai prevents Azula from attacking Katara, at least temporarily.

Kimjuni2: Well, Mai and Ty Lee didn't exactly help, but they didn't hinder Zuko too much, either.

Infernal-Sky: I'm always happy to hear that I've inspired someone! Because this battle is so epic, it's stretching over several chapters. Sorry about that, but I can't see a better way of doing it. And the firebenders in the show can bend lava (like in The Avatar and the Firelord, for instance).

arizony: To be fair to the fanfic writers, the actual show didn't help much at the end in portraying Aang's character. I mean, making a big deal about how much Aang's grown up in DoBS, only to have him say childish things like "Can't hear you, wind in my ears" in the very next episode? It got a bit painful.

Atem's Sister Atea: So Mai and Zuko got some closure, Ursa interrupted the brotherly feud, and the battles continue. More to come!


	33. Chapter 33: Conflagration

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Okay, here we are at the meat of the big battles at last. I'm sorry it took longer than I expected, but there was illness in the family (including me), which reduced both my time and inclination to write. Then I had trouble figuring out how to end it, and…well, you get the picture.

**Conflagration**

Aang was getting worried. He was only using a fraction of his power, but he was afraid that Azula was doing the same. They were testing each other, gauging the capabilities of the opponent. He got the feeling that she was just toying with him, and Aang hated that. It usually meant that she had a plan.

Firebending was unique among the bending disciplines for several reasons, but one of them was that it lacked any defensive techniques. This was quite alien to Aang, since airbending consisted mainly of defensive mobility. In this particular contest, the only thing Aang could do to protect himself was create a fire effect strong enough to keep Azula's from breaking through. It was a different way of thinking, and Aang was glad that Bumi had encouraged him to think differently.

When Azula began to make lightning between her fingers, Aang tensed but paused. He could have taken the opportunity to strike at her while she was occupied, but he had a feeling she could respond faster than he could. Besides, waiting for the opportune moment was something he'd learned from earthbending, and the hesitation allowed him to be free to do whatever was necessary, including re-directing the lightning as Zuko and Iroh had taught him.

Azula smirked as she met his gaze triumphantly and moved to release the lightning. That was all the warning Aang received, and it was all he needed. When Azula shifted at the last second to shoot at Katara instead of Aang, he was ready. Before Katara could even bring her water to bear, a rock wall appeared in front of her, absorbing the electricity.

"You broke the rules!" Azula accused in a snarl, whirling on the Avatar again. He was a little surprised to feel his mouth stretch into a slight grin.

"You attacked someone besides me," he returned mildly. "I said I'd obey the rules as long as you did." The Firelord's eyes widened, then narrowed. She'd taken a gamble, and it hadn't worked. Aang's restraints were off.

"Guards!" she shrieked, attempting to even the odds. "Take them both!"

This order did not have the desired effect. The guardsmen moved, all right, and Aang turned his attention automatically to Katara, but he could see that she was in no immediate danger. The crowd suddenly surged and shifted, and the guards had all they could manage as they were attacked from all sides.

"Aang!" Katara's cry was just in time. Azula had used Aang's moment of distraction to make an attack on him. Reacting mostly on instinct, Aang leapt into the air, free to use his native bending at last. Lightning crackled below him, charging the air and making the fine hairs on his arms stand up. She was already preparing her next attempt when he landed, but this time, he stood his ground. Steeling himself against the fear that tried to rise up within him, he extended his hands to catch the lightning, pulled it safely through his body, and released it back out towards Azula. It exploded several of the paving blocks, but she jumped neatly backward.

Aang followed up with airbending and earthbending, keeping the Firelord off-balance as he tried to alternately move her into a different position or hold her. She was too quick, but that was fine. Now that he could use any of his abilities, Aang had time to think.

He could use the Avatar State, which would allow him to decisively end this, but he hesitated. Even with all of the chaos, there were too many enemies available to take advantage of the moment of concentration it would take for him to shift into that state. He needed to wait until he was certain his allies had his back.

Azula had stopped bothering with lightning, no doubt deciding that it was too slow. Instead, she shot blue fire at Aang in rapid bursts, using hands and feet as she maneuvered away from his efforts. He used his air scooter to zoom around her, presenting a moving target. Neither of them had complete freedom of movement now that general melee had broken out all around them, but Aang felt like that hampered him more than it did Azula. He was a little too slow in dodging one of her attacks, and it set fire to his clothing. Aang launched himself off of the air scooter to roll on the ground, drawing the dust around him to snuff out the flames.

In a daring move, Aang continued his roll and ducked underneath Azula's next salvo to get in close. Firebending was inherently a ranged discipline, and he hoped that he could get inside her guard long enough to do what he needed to do. He grasped one of her ankles with both hands, and before she could break free, trapped the foot inside stone. Her other foot came down hard as she tried to regain her balance, and he trapped that one as well. Almost as part of the same movement, Aang twisted around her legs, grabbing one of her wrists on his way to his feet. Azula seemed torn between striking directly at him and going for the ground to free herself. In that moment of indecision, Aang wrenched her arm behind her, then reached for the other. She struggled, of course, but her strength lay in bending rather than physical condition, and he held her without too much effort.

In any case, he only had to pin her arms long enough to stomp his foot, creating a triangular piece of rock that locked around her wrists, holding them behind her. He circled back around to stand in front of her. From what he knew of her, he didn't think she'd ever learned the fire-breathing technique, but just to be on the safe side, he brought another section of earth to surround her neck and pulled it down so that she was forced to her knees, adjusting the rock holding her arms at the same time so as not to pull her shoulders out of joint.

Satisfied that she had been neutralized, Aang finally took the opportunity to look around. The situation appeared to be well in hand. A number of prone, wet guardsmen lay around, giving evidence to Katara's efforts. She stood threateningly over them with what remained of her bending water between her hands. The rest of the guards had been subdued by people who'd been in the crowd. Scanning around, Aang saw many familiar faces: The Boulder, Bato, and even the Mechanist, cheerfully waving a wrench. At the base of the palace steps, Zuko was stretched across Ty Lee's back and was holding her arms down. Oddly, Ty Lee didn't seem to mind the position all that much.

Only Mai stood apart, surveying the scene with her inscrutable face, hands folded within the sleeves of her robe. She moved over toward Aang and Azula, and he tensed while Katara took a step forward.

"That looks really uncomfortable," Mai remarked blandly, looking down at her Firelord, who glared back.

"Help me, you fool!" Azula spat at her. Mai's expression didn't change, but she flicked her yellow eyes toward Zuko and Ty Lee.

"You said Zuko was all yours," she replied, gesturing vaguely in his direction. "Well, you can have him. I'm going home." With that, she turned and walked purposefully to a break in the wall. The crowd parted for her, and everyone watched her leave in silence. Belatedly, Aang remembered that Mai had not taken part in the battle of the drill, outside the walls of Ba Sing Se, and realized that she'd never been as invested in the fighting as Azula had been.

He turned his attention back to his prisoner and watched several expressions cross the trapped Firelord's face. Finally, her features set into a mask of indifference as she waited to see what Aang would do next. He found that he almost pitied her. In a flash of insight, he understood that she'd never had any real friends, and in this one moment, she'd lost everything she'd thought was important.

Well, almost everything. He still had to take care of one last item. To tell the truth, he was sorry to do it, but he couldn't see any other way. Azula would still pose a threat if he left her as she was. He selected a guard at random and pointed to him.

"Go and get the fire sages," he ordered. "They will need to witness and document what happens here." The man bowed hurriedly and left. Aang gazed into Azula's eyes, seeing the hate and impotent rage there, and he sighed as he took hold of the rock that held her.

At last, it was safe to summon the Avatar State. He closed his eyes and concentrated, and he felt the sensation of growing larger than his body could contain. Incredible, immeasurable power coursed through him. He opened eyes that he knew were glowing. In this state, he knew what to do. He sent his senses through he earth, searching. As he found the crystals he was looking for, he pulled them up and joined them together, simultaneously heating and fusing them into one seamless whole. There were gasps around him, and he knew that to everyone else, it would look as though the rock were flowing as he replaced the mixed minerals with only one.

Aang did not allow his attention to be diverted, however. He took great care that neither he nor Azula were burned by the hot substance as he formed it around her. He drew the heat back out of the liquid, leaving a smoky, hard formation of glass that held her hands, feet, and head trapped. It would not conduct electricity and would take a long time to heat up. Even if it did, it would only become a hot liquid that she couldn't control, and she'd probably get burned. He released both it and the Avatar State, believing that this arrangement would serve until he had completed his last task.

***

Sokka waited impatiently for somebody to use lightning on him, but these soldiers were apparently not that skilled. Most of them were actually using weapons instead of firebending. While that was good news for Sokka and the others who fought beside him, he found it a little disappointing. It seemed that the strong firebenders of the world were spread out through the Earth Kingdom.

When he thought about it, it made a certain amount of sense that the Firelord – sorry, Chicken-Lizard King, or whatever – would only have brought what amounted to an honor guard. Ba Sing Se was already supposed to be under his control, full of firebenders and earthbenders. This was supposed to be a triumphal procession, not a battle.

Sokka sighed with resignation. What was the point of having a space sword with a special feature if you never got a chance to use it?

A crackling from his right caught his attention, and he looked that way eagerly, but it was just Ozai and Iroh's battle. However, that gave Sokka an idea. He cut through a few opponents, who seemed to be losing interest in fighting, and placed himself strategically near the lava ring. When Iroh dodged a bolt of lightning, Sokka caught it with his sword and directed it back across the field. He was not above using an Agni Kai as a weapon.

"All must fear my Sword of Thunder!" he shouted gaily. Technically, it was lightning rather than thunder, but he thought Sword of Thunder sounded more impressive. Besides, without Toph or Katara in earshot, no one was likely to argue with him. Grinning madly, he swept his sword from side to side as he kept an eye out for the next charge.

***

Iroh politely waited until Ozai had recovered from the shock of seeing his estranged wife again. Ozai would never have extended the same courtesy, but that didn't matter. Iroh was on the Avatar's side now, and he was determined to play by the rules.

What he had already discovered was that his younger brother was just a little slow. He was still a formidable firebender and had obviously been keeping himself in shape, but he had not had to fight to survive as Iroh had for nearly half a year.

As Ozai launched powerful fire attacks with both fists, Iroh also noted that he lacked finesse, as he always had. The Phoenix King's strategy was a simple one of hitting hard, hitting first, and hoping the fight would be ended quickly.

This was not Iroh's way. He preferred a more leisurely pace to combat, conserving his energy in a bid to outlast his opponent. Therefore, he allowed Ozai to wear himself out with rapid attacks, only responding with enough force to counter and moving as little as possible. Finally, he decided it was time to take the offensive. Iroh swept out with a large wave of flame to meet and overcome Ozai's latest attempt. That kept Ozai occupied long enough for Iroh to build up a charge of lightning, which he flung out at his brother. Ozai saw it just in time to jump backward, and it threw up chunks of earth at his feet. One chunk did catch his knee, making it buckle.

Iroh followed up quickly, charging in with a gout of flame from each hand, but Ozai wasn't quite done yet. He dropped onto his back, swinging his legs around and sending fire out in an arc to block Iroh's attack. Iroh was forced to stop, and before he had a chance to decide what to do next, a bolt of lightning was heading straight up toward him from where Ozai still lay on the ground. Iroh dodged it and struck back, taking up a new stance as he readied himself for the next attack.

Ozai stood up, already building a charge. Iroh caught this lightning in one arm, drew it fluidly through his stomach, and shot it out his other hand. His aim wasn't perfect, but Ozai was taken enough by surprise that the bolt caught him in the shoulder. He cried out as he stumbled backward, almost into the lava.

Iroh hated what he had to do, but he didn't see any choice. He began advancing, step by step, leading with firebending to force his brother inexorably backwards towards the stream of lava. If he wasn't paying attention, he might fall right in. The thought of such an end was gruesome, but it would finish the battle.

However, Ozai did notice his position. More than that, he took advantage of it. He drew heat from the lava, using it to fuel his firebending and leaving a chunk of black rock behind. Taken by surprise, the front edge of the fire licked Iroh's chest before he deflected the rest, leaving an angry, red burn. The Dragon of the West winced, drawing heat away from his flesh as quickly as he could to reduce the damage.

Meanwhile, Ozai had evidently decided to pursue the possibilities of the lava boundary. He pulled up a measure of it, somewhat reminiscent of waterbending, and threw it at Iroh. The air moving over it made it solidify quickly, but the momentum carried the resulting stone toward its target anyway.

Two could play at that game. Both combatants began using the same technique, alternating lava and pure fire attacks until the miniature moat was depleted and hardening fast. It was time to end this.

He pulled out the fire-breath at last, expelling it out high. Ozai met it with his own, but Iroh had expected that. He ducked and shot for the middle, catching Ozai in the chest and forcing him backward. Then Iroh charged in, hands blazing, and caught Ozai on the knee that had already been hit. He went down, and Iroh threw himself on top of him. He punched his brother solidly on the jaw, probably loosening teeth. He raised his fist again but hesitated. He had seen this somewhere before. Remembering, he punched fire into the ground beside Ozai's face and rose, mirroring Zuko's actions months before.

"This battle is over," he said heavily, and turned around. Recalling how Zhao had behaved when he was beaten, it was probably a mistake to turn his back, but in spite of everything, Iroh still believed that his brother retained some sense of honor. By the time he heard the movement behind him, it was too late. He turned in time to see a large fireball hurtling toward his head, growing in his vision. He instinctively ducked, crossed his hands above his head, and spread fire from them, but he knew that wasn't going to be enough.

It was too late for _him_ to react, but not for the dragons. The pair swept in as though they'd been expecting this moment to come. The blue dragon breathed an even larger fireball, knocking Ozai's aside. The red dragon, meanwhile, bathed the former Firelord in flames so hot they burned white. Iroh squinted and shielded his eyes against the glare.

When the brilliance had faded and the sparkles cleared from Iroh's eyes, there was little left of his brother but a blackened skull and a pile of ashes. Shakily, he went over to the remains, wondering how he could ever have thought coming to an end burned in lava was gruesome. This was far worse. He had seen plenty of death in war, but he'd never seen anything like this. He felt like retching.

"The dragon must consume the phoenix," Iroh murmured, remembering what Aang had said. "Consumed by fire." He shook his head, horrified yet unable to look away. He knew that Ozai had brought this on himself, aided by the actions of their father and grandfather, but it saddened him nonetheless. With one final shudder, he turned away.

The head of the serpent had been cut off, and the body would die soon enough. For all practical purposes, this war was over. He could only hope Aang had been as successful.

--

Author's Note: So I kept a couple of the elements of the actual finale, also pulling in an item or two from one of my alternate scenes in Flying Embers. Hey, it's perfectly legal to steal from yourself! And Ozai's dead. The show seemed to try to avoid killing people off in the finale, but I thought it was necessary in my story. Otherwise, he would still pose a threat.

Review responses:

Katsumara: I went into a lot more detail in these fights because I thought it was necessary for the climax of the story to be powerful and easy to visualize. Still two or three chapters of denouement to go. As I've told you before, I might have supported Maiko if there was better development of their relationship.

musiclover9419: I'm glad you liked the Ursa part. I was originally going to go straight into the Ozai/Iroh battle, but then I realized that Ursa needed the opportunity to speak her mind.

Amber Pegasus: Thank you.

Marisol Maza: I was able to squeeze Sokka in here briefly. It's very hard to cover everything.

Monte-chan: Yes, well, the Loser Lord didn't survive. You're right about Toph's lines in the actual show, and I'm afraid I've been a bit remiss in that. Zuko pretending to be Toph was fun, though.

Private LL Church: I'm glad you understand where I'm coming from now. Thank you.

Atem's Sister Atea: This chapter answered most of your questions. Some you'll just have to wait for. Maybe Mai was a little more expressive when she was 14, at least with Zuko. I obviously don't have time to show everybody doing everything, but I realized I hadn't mentioned Toph in a while.

hydrosnake: I hope you now understand why Ursa had to talk with Ozai earlier. That's called foreshadowing. Besides, the last chapter was mainly about relationships, so I thought it was a good fit. You might also have noticed that a couple of readers made a point of saying they liked the Ursa scene.


	34. Chapter 34: Balance Restored

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: The last stage of battle.

**Balance Restored**

Aang knelt before Azula, knowing that this wasn't going to get easier if he waited. He assumed that the fire sages would be back by the time he was done, and he could address them, as well as the rest of the spectators, at that time.

He placed one hand on Azula's forehead and the other on her collarbone. Then he closed his eyes and opened himself completely, the way the lion-turtle had taught him. Azula's rage and hate poured into him, searing him like fire. Their force was more powerful than Aang had expected, and he gritted his teeth as he fought the torrent.

It was not just her emotion that flooded him but her charisma, her sheer force of personality, her conviction that she had been born to rule. He felt overwhelmed with all of this as it filled him, scalded him. It threatened to burn him out, leaving him an empty husk.

For a moment, he was tempted to give in. There was so little of him left; it would be such a small thing to let go and welcome silence and oblivion. It had been only a subjective year since he had learned he was the Avatar, and the time had been spent in almost constant turmoil and struggle for survival. He was tired and wrung out, and maybe it really didn't matter anymore. Maybe the world would be better off left to the next Avatar.

Just as he had nearly decided that, however, his mind was filled with images of Katara: the wind whipping her hair loops as he opened his eyes to see her for the first time; moving fluidly to help him shape the clouds above Aunt Wu's village; defiance and cold combining to flush her cheeks as she fought Master Pakku for the right to train with him; torchlight casting shadows on her face in The Cave of Two Lovers; tears streaming down her cheeks after getting through Serpent's Pass; all made up and dressed to go out in Ba Sing Se; sharing a dance with him in the Fire Nation; exchanging kisses.

No. He would _not_ let that go. He wouldn't let _her_ go. He had lost so much already; he refused to lose this. Love welled up inside him, filling him to overflowing. It swallowed up Azula's energy like a hungry beast, pushing beyond Aang's body and into the Firelord. It was a force she didn't understand and couldn't resist.

Other faces appeared in Aang's memory in a steady stream, although Katara's remained at the forefront. The past, present and future seemed to merge into this one moment. Time, normally a river flowing in one direction, had instead become a whirlpool that swirled around him in rapidly closing circles.

Aang was no longer certain where he left off and the world began, but this didn't frighten him as it once might have. Separations were illusions, even those between distinct individuals. He understood this now as he had never understood it before, though not in a way that he could ever express in words. Everything was connected. He was the world and the world was him, so for the moment, it didn't matter that he couldn't find himself.

At last, it was over. He separated his consciousness out from the space-time continuum in a manner reminiscent of picking up a noodle with chopsticks. He let go of Azula and opened his eyes. One thing had become abundantly clear to him. He was done putting things off.

***

Suddenly, the soldiers around Suki began throwing down their weapons. Those that were firebenders simply dropped to the ground. The female warrior looked around, wondering what had happened. She hadn't noticed any obvious change in the tide of battle, but then again, she'd been pretty focused on her immediate surroundings.

"They're surrendering," said Sokka from somewhere to her left, and he sounded as mystified as Suki felt. She searched the faces of the people from the Fire Nation ships that had miraculously fought on her side and discovered that their attention was firmly fixed behind her. She turned around slowly while Sokka made his way to her side, and they both finally saw what had ended the battle.

Iroh was walking across the blackened remains of the lava moat that had surrounded his duel with Ozai. His younger brother was nowhere to be seen. Recognizing Sokka and Suki, Iroh approached them. As he drew nearer, Suki could see that his face wore mostly a mask of sorrow. He had also put his tunic back on.

"Where's Ozai?" Sokka demanded, either not seeing Iroh's expression or ignoring it.

"Dead," answered Iroh simply. "The dragons…" He trailed off, looking back over his shoulder at the erstwhile arena. Suki had been aware of the dragons heading in that direction, but she'd been too occupied with her own situation to notice what they were doing.

"He's gone?" Suki managed to get out. "Really gone?"

"Yes," Iroh confirmed heavily. "He will trouble no one again."

"That's why everyone else is giving up!" Sokka exclaimed, a smile spreading across his face that was first slightly disbelieving but developed quickly into one of triumph. "We won!"

Suki could understand his elation, but gazing upon Iroh's face, she couldn't share it. Not yet. She went over and placed a hand on the firebender's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely.

"It had to be." He took a deep breath, winced slightly, and let it out again as he placed a hand near his stomach.

"Are you hurt?" asked Suki with concern.

"He did manage to burn me. It's not much."

"But – what about Aang?" Sokka broke in, finally showing some concern as he realized that this was only half of today's conflict. Suki loved the man dearly, but he did tend to be a little insensitive.

"We will have to wait until we receive word," Iroh responded. "Until then, we have some prisoners to take into custody."

Suki knew that he was right. There would be time to rejoice, to grieve, to count the costs and the gains, but that time was not now. She and Sokka split up to organize the taking of prisoners into the city. This battle might be over, but the work was not. Neither was the worry.

Passing by the dueling arena, Suki saw within it a gold crown in the shape of a phoenix, lying intact on the other side of a pile of ashes. She didn't know why, but the image struck her as being somehow appropriate.

***

Katara stood at the ready from the moment Aang went into the Avatar State. For one thing, she wanted to protect him from anyone that might try to catch him unaware. For another, she knew how much this could drain him. Seeing Azula trapped in glass took her by surprise, however, and she was just as awed as everyone else. He also appeared perfectly normal when he came out of it; just a little tired, which was to be expected after the way he'd just fought.

When Aang knelt in front of Azula, Katara watched in fascination to see what would happen. They had talked about the energy balance he needed to do, but neither of them really knew how it would work or what it might look like. At first, the two were merely connected, and nothing seemed to be happening. Then Aang threw back his head, and radiance poured out of his eyes and mouth. Instead of simply glowing like in the Avatar State, he was actually shedding blue light like a beacon. A moment later, Azula mirrored him, but her light was red.

Although neither of them moved after that, Katara could sense the battle of wills going on between them. She sent her thoughts toward Aang as strongly as she could, hoping that he knew how much she loved him and wishing she had told him many more times than she had.

Meanwhile, Zuko apparently decided that Ty Lee was no longer a threat and let her get up. She rolled to a sitting position and wrapped her arms around her knees.

Then, without warning, it was over. Aang slumped onto his knees, and Katara was immediately there to support him.

"Did –" she broke off, not exactly sure what she was asking. "Did it work?"

"Yeah, I did it," he confirmed, and he looked up at her, eyes full of love. He reached a hand up to gently cup her cheek. "I have something I need to ask you."

_I think I've been here before, _Katara thought, and she felt her heart rate speed up. This was likely to be a more serious question than penguin-sledding.

"Will you marry me?" he said earnestly. Katara's mind went completely blank.

"What?"

"I don't think I can ask it again," he replied heavily, lowering his eyes. The absence of his gaze made her ache.

"No, I heard you," she said quickly. "It's just…I'm…now?"

"Well, no. Not _now_," he uttered with a small chuckle. "Eventually. When we're older." He paused, took a deep breath, and then looked in her eyes again. Katara had to struggle to focus on his next words. "What I'm saying is that I'm ready to make this decision. I understand if you aren't yet, but…I know what I want. I guess I always did."

Katara stared at him, trying to think things through. She'd already decided she didn't want to face life without him if she could avoid it. When you got right down to it, it wasn't that big a step to decide that she wanted to spend the rest of her life _with_ him. After all they'd been through together, there was only one choice. She smiled slowly and leaned in to kiss him soundly.

"I think that's a yes," Zuko remarked dryly from behind her. Katara couldn't help it. She burst into giggles, breaking the kiss.

"It is a yes," she agreed, looking only at Aang. He grinned back.

"Great! I'll talk to your father as soon as—"

"That won't be necessary," said a deep voice from somewhere off to the side, and a dark-skinned man with blue eyes detached himself from the crowd.

"Dad!" Katara exclaimed. She disentangled herself from the Avatar's embrace and got up to hug her father. "You're okay!" She was a little embarrassed that he'd been watching that whole scene, but that was mostly overwhelmed with her happiness at seeing him again.

"It will take more than a Fire Nation prison to do me any real damage," he replied, holding her tightly. After a long moment, Katara pulled back to look him in the face. She saw there a mixture of expressions she couldn't begin to puzzle out. He reached out to stroke her hair. "I've missed so much."

"You were here for the important things," said Katara, trying to reassure him. Maybe he would like to have overseen her falling in love, but that had been sort of personal, and she'd made enough mistakes along the way. She'd been kind of glad that only Aang had been witness to most of that, and he'd had plenty of missteps of his own as they'd figured things out. Sokka had been there, of course, but he had largely seemed occupied with his own concerns.

"Maybe," her dad conceded uncertainly. He looked at her searchingly. "You really love him, don't you?"

"I do," she answered firmly, meeting his eyes so that he would see there was no doubt. After a moment, he nodded.

"Then you both have my blessing," he announced, giving her a smile. He turned his attention to Aang, who was standing with his head bowed as he awaited acknowledgment. The Water Tribe chief inclined his head in a gesture of respect. "I would be honored to have the Avatar as a son-in-law."

"Thank you, Chief Hakoda," said Aang simply, but Katara could almost feel the relief coming off from him. In a way, it was amusing to think that he'd faced Azula without flinching, but requesting her hand in marriage from her father had frightened him.

"Now, I think you have more immediate matters to attend to," her father said, gesturing and backing away slightly. Katara turned to see that the fire sages had arrived at some point during the conversation. They looked confused, which was understandable. In the space of two hearbeats, Aang transformed from the shy suitor to the capable Avatar, and the waterbender wondered if she would get used to that someday. Then again, it was the contrasts within him that were a large part of why she'd always found him fascinating, even attractive.

"I'm glad you've arrived," Aang addressed the red-clad men. "I need you to record that I have defeated Firelord Azula in single combat. There are many witnesses here who can support that claim. According to the law of this land, her fate is mine to decide."

The fire sages searched the crowd, and seeing no dissent, they conferred with one another for a moment.

"You are correct, Avatar Aang," one of them granted, somewhat reluctantly. "What is your will?"

"I wish for her to be set aside as the ruler of the Fire Nation. Prince Zuko will take his rightful place, as the firstborn son of Firelord Ozai, on the throne." At Aang's words, the fire sages looked uncomfortable.

"That is not so easy, Avatar," a second one said. "She has already been crowned. We cannot undo the ritual." Aang smiled tightly.

"I think she'll find it difficult to hold the position of Firelord if she can't firebend," he replied.

"What?" exclaimed Zuko and Azula at almost the same moment. Meanwhile, a gasp went up through the crowd, followed by agitated babbling. Even Katara, who'd known what Aang planned, couldn't help a slight feeling of unease. Her waterbending defined her to a certain extent, and she wouldn't want to be without it. She couldn't say Azula didn't deserve her fate, but it was still a bit unsettling. The fire sages looked startled and a little frightened.

"I was supposed to restore balance to the world, and I recently learned how to balance energies," Aang explained. "I took away her bending. She won't be able to hurt anyone with it again."

"I – it's not possible!" Azula shouted, struggling against the glass that bound her. Her face held a mixture of defiance and fear.

"Go ahead and try it," replied the Avatar. With a gesture, the structure that imprisoned her fell apart, and Katara noted that, despite the tendency of glass to shatter, there were no sharp edges. He'd thought of that and accomplished it without even seeming to work at it. He was truly a fully realized Avatar now.

Once freed, Azula tried to firebend, each attempt showing more desperation.

"How – why?" she sputtered when she finally realized her efforts were useless and dropped to the ground in defeat.

"You know why," said Aang solemnly. "The how is something that can't be explained in words." He took no joy in what he'd had to do, and Katara respected him more for that.

"Bato, I'd like you to take charge of former Firelord Azula and select some help in escorting her to prison," he instructed. Then he smiled faintly. "From the looks of things, there should be plenty of room."

"Indeed there is, Avatar Aang," Bato answered with wry humor and set about fulfilling his task. Zuko went over to his sister and plucked the crown from her hair.

"That's mine," he informed her, but he handed it over to the fire sages. "Keep it safe until the coronation."

"When would you like to have it?" one of them asked, seeming to address both Aang and Zuko. The Avatar and the prince exchanged a glance.

"I think three days would be enough time to make any necessary preparations," Aang suggested, and Zuko nodded his agreement. "All right then. In three days, at midday."

"What about the people in Ba Sing Se?" Katara wondered. Aang stepped to Katara and took her hands.

"I need you to take Appa there to give them the news," he said, and though the words sounded like an order, his expression and tone of voice made it more of a request. "I don't think I can leave until Zuko is safely crowned, and I should probably stay here for a few months afterward, to make sure there's a peaceful transition." He glanced briefly in the direction that Azula and her escort had gone, then slowly turned his head around the courtyard, giving the impression that he was meeting everyone's eyes.

Katara's heart sank. She hated to be leaving him right after getting engaged, but almost immediately, she realized how silly that was. Aang would always be the Avatar, and his duties would inevitably draw him away from her sometimes. She nodded.

"Where is Appa?" she asked Zuko.

"In the garden," he shrugged. It seemed no one had thought to bring the bison whistle, so Aang just pursed his lips and blew. It was only a few seconds before the large, white shape appeared, landing near him. Both Aang and Katara greeted him warmly. They also took advantage of his bulk to hide their goodbyes from most onlookers.

"I can't possibly carry everyone back with me," she pointed out.

"No," he agreed. "Just bring Sokka, Suki, Iroh, and Toph. It's a good idea to leave the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors and the Old Masters there to keep order anyway. I'll have to deal with that city eventually, though."

"Will it ever end?" she sighed, leaning her forehead against his. It was finally hitting her how big a commitment it was to marry the Avatar. Still, Avatar Roku seemed to have managed to be happily married for decades. She held onto that thought.

"It will long enough for our honeymoon, at least," he answered determinedly. "I promise you that."

"I'll hold you to it," she informed him with a smile. After a final kiss that held the promise of many more, Katara got onto Appa and took off, although she looked behind her almost constantly until she could no longer see her betrothed.

--

Author's Note: A little different take on the energy balance concept, while preserving the broader strokes. Did anyone else wonder what happened to Ozai after the battle? I mean, how did he get back to the Fire Nation? Who took him to prison? All of these little details I like to explore, except that my prisoner, of course, is Azula.

Review responses:

Katsumara: First of all, thank you. Azula's punishment was completed here, with some reunions and wrap-up. I did write a "three-shot" Maiko story. It's mixed into my Boys & Girls collection. I've sometimes thought about expanding it into a longer story, but I haven't pursued it.

musiclover9419: Thank you for your good wishes; most of us are feeling better. I actually thought about having one of the dragons eat Ozai to fulfill the "consume" portion of Roku's words, but I decided that would make them more like wild beasts than intelligent creatures.

Infernal-Sky: I can't think of anything to say to you except thank you very much!

Amber Pegasus: Yeah, I'd say Ozai got smacked down about as much as he could have.

Marisol Maza: I'm glad you agree. I might have had mixed feelings about Aang killing someone in the finale, but doing it this way sort of solved the various ethical and logistical problems.

Monte-chan: Earlier in this story, when Zuko separated from the group to find his mother, I had him do the bit where he pretends to be other people to help him through something, and one of the personalities he took on was Toph's. And the "prophecy" wasn't so ancient, since Roku just delivered it two days ago.

Private LL Church: I'm glad you thought the wait was worth it. I think the main differences with my ending will be more detail on what happens to everyone after the war and the solidifying of the relationships.

Kimjuni2: Well, thank you! I'll mentally fill in all of the things you might have been thinking.:)

Big A. Lovin avatar: I hope this chapter cleared some things up for you. I'm sorry you were confused.

Atem's Sister Atea: It's good to hear that you found the battles exciting. As for Ozai's end, it is possible that I've been watching Bones episodes too much. And Sokka is Sokka.

Vanille Strawberry: Now that I think about it, it is kind of weird that we never saw Iroh and Ozai interact in the show. Even in the flashbacks, they were always apart. It would have been nice to see them face each other.

Halogazer: Thank you. I just thought Ozai had to go. See above for related comments.

arizony: Well, they did sort of show Zhao and Jet dying, and they certainly killed off plenty of people, like Sokka and Katara's mother and the entire race of airbenders. Anyway, thank you for your kind words. It's always a pleasure to hear from you.


	35. Chapter 35: Expectations

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I'm sorry; late again! Maybe I shouldn't apologize, though, since I've noticed many authors who go a month or more without updating.

**Expectations**

Sokka sat on the flat roof of the palace at Ba Sing Se, searching the sky and waiting. He had spent several hours after the battle helping to separate friend from foe and finding places and food for both. If all went as planned, they'd eventually send the Fire Nation prisoners home for Zuko to deal with. As for the Dai Li…well, that was an Earth Kingdom matter that would have to be addressed by the king and any city officials who might still be here.

Finally, Sokka had managed to get a meal for himself. Now he watched the sky and waited while the others rested below. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep until he knew the fate of his sister and the young Avatar they'd both come to love.

In addition, he'd recognized the need to distance himself from Suki for a little while. As physical as their relationship had quickly become, there was still a line or two they had yet to cross, and he felt honor-bound to keep it that way for now. The brief moment they'd snatched after the battle, however, had convinced him that he would not be likely to obey his sense of honor for long if they remained together, and he had the distinct feeling that she would not object. For the moment, therefore, it was better for him to be here and collect his thoughts.

Although Sokka admired the view, the city looked odd with most of the walls down. He hoped that at least the outer walls could be rebuilt soon. They were needed for defense, as recent history had shown. He wouldn't have minded, though, if some of the inner barriers were taken down. He'd never liked the separations that the city planners had made based on class, wealth, or whatever else they'd decided should keep people apart.

Still, he could see the reason the palace had been built here, on high ground with the lesser buildings stretching in ever-increasing circles around it. This kept the king and his household separated from the gritty details of daily life. From up here, you couldn't see the ragged refugees or smell the garbage in the alleys. More important to Sokka today, you couldn't see the bodies of the fallen or hear the moans of the wounded and the keening of grieving families.

He and his friends had managed to escape any real injuries, but the untrained farmers and shopkeepers of the city hadn't been so lucky. Without any waterbenders trained in healing, the local healers were doing as much as they could. Hopefully, Katara would be able to help when she arrived, although she was likely to be very tired.

A noise behind Sokka made him startle, but he relaxed when he realized who it was. Being who she was, though, she noticed his jumpiness.

"You can calm down, now; the war's over," Toph reminded him sardonically as she came to sit beside him. She stayed well away from the edges, which was understandable.

"Is it?" he returned. "We won't really know that until we find out what happened with Aang and Azula."

"I'm sure Twinkle-toes won," said Toph. "We prepared him as well as we could."

"I'd still feel better knowing."

"Why do you like it up here?" the small earthbender changed the subject after a brief pause.

"The view," he said without thinking. He quickly apologized. "Sorry." Toph shrugged one shoulder unconcernedly.

"It's okay," she replied. "I thought it might be something like that."

"This is also the place where I can see Appa coming first," Sokka added. Toph nodded, gazing blankly straight ahead.

"Do you think Zuko's okay?" she almost whispered.

"I'm starting to think nothing can kill him," the warrior snorted. "Do you have any idea how many times he should have died already? Blown up, drowned, lightning strike, frozen at the North Pole – I would have left him to that, by the way –"

"Sokka! I'm serious!" She actually sounded a little irritated with him. Usually things were the other way around between them.

"So am I," he said, more gently. "He'll get through this."

The two sat together in companionable silence for what felt like a long time. At last, Sokka thought he saw something moving toward them. With the sun now behind him, he didn't need to squint, but shadows were stretching long in front of him. When he became more certain of what he was seeing, he stood up excitedly and began to wave.

"What? What is it?" Toph demanded, also rising to her feet.

"It's Appa!" Sokka couldn't make out who was riding, but the flying bison was coming in for a landing soon enough, revealing his sister as the only passenger. She dismounted, and they met in a hug.

"It looks like everything went well here," Katara remarked as Toph entered the hug.

"We have some that could use your healing, but otherwise, everything went according to plan," Sokka replied. "Well, except for the dragons burning up Ozai. I don't think anybody expected that."

"Ozai's dead?" gasped Katara.

"Later," Toph interrupted gruffly. "You seem all right, but what happened over there?"

"Aang won," Katara smiled broadly. "He took away Azula's bending."

"He did what?" said Sokka and Toph simultaneously. Katara waved a hand as though brushing the question away.

"Let's gather the key people so I can tell them all at once," she suggested. "I don't really want to tell the whole story over and over." At this point, though, she suddenly looked a little shy and happy at the same time. "While it's just the two of you, though, there is one thing I'd like you to know. Aang and I are engaged!"

Toph congratulated the older girl, but Sokka felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. Not that he hadn't seen this coming, but he'd thought he would have more time to mentally prepare himself.

"You're getting married?" he said blankly, and the girls giggled.

"That's usually what engaged means," Katara said good-naturedly.

"When?" According to Water Tribe tradition, a girl wasn't marriageable until she was 16, but their family had developed a habit of challenging traditions, so he wasn't going to take anything for granted.

"We didn't get that far, but Dad was there and gave his blessing and everything!"

At those words, Sokka was finally able to recover. If their father had approved the match, there was nothing more to be said. Besides, his little sister was glowing with joy, and he had to admit it would be something of a relief to be able to hand over the responsibility for her welfare to someone else.

"I'm sure you'll be very happy together," he told her, giving her another hug and a smile.

"What about Zuko?" Toph interjected.

"He's fine, and all set to be crowned in three…" Katara eyed the sun, which was now approaching the horizon. "Well, more like two and a half days, I guess."

"I guess our work on saving the world is pretty well done then," Sokka remarked, not sure how he felt about that. A part of him wanted to return home and take it easy for a while. On the other hand, it had been kind of fun seeing the world and making new friends. Katara sent Appa off to find a place to rest and eat, but she shook her head at what Sokka had said.

"The war might be over, but the work isn't," Katara contradicted him. "Aang already told me he'll have to stay in the Fire Nation for several months to make sure everyone accepts Zuko as Firelord." The three of them moved to the stairs that would take them into the palace.

"Ba Sing Se's a mess, too," Toph pointed out. "We have to find the king and set up a whole new system for running the place."

"We should rebuild the walls, too," Sokka mused.

"Yeah, but with earthbending, that won't take long," Toph shrugged.

"We also have to think about any renegade soldiers, especially officers, who might try to 'restore the glory of the Fire Nation,'" said Katara. "Zuko will try to recall the army and navy from the Earth Kingdom, but a few might desert instead."

As they walked through the halls, Sokka wasn't sure whether he was relieved or disappointed to learn that their job as a team had not necessarily ended with the war. However, his sister's news did cause him to give a little thought to his long-term future.

***

Ursa listened with avid attention the next morning to Katara's description of the events that had occurred in the capital city the onetime princess had once called home. As eager as everyone had been to find out what had happened, the waterbender had insisted that the wounded combatants – from both sides – should be her first priority. By the time she had finished healing everyone to the best of her ability, it was late, and it had been an exhausting day. Those of their core group who weren't already asleep were swaying on their feet. Therefore, the recitation had been postponed by mutual consent.

Ursa was delighted to learn that Avatar Aang had succeeded in winning Zuko his crown and relieved that her only daughter still lived. Maybe there would still be a chance to connect with her. Now that Azula was without her bending, she might be more willing to listen to a mother.

What Ursa had no intention of telling anyone was that she was happy to finally be a widow. Emotionally, she'd already been one for years, and having her marriage ended in so dramatic a fashion lifted a burden that she'd carried for too long. At last, she could truly make a new start to her life, as the rest of the world was creating a new start for itself.

Suki showed her more girlish side when Katara reached the part where the Avatar had proposed to her. Ursa was rather surprised to hear that. Marriages were frequently arranged for such young people by their families, but she'd never heard of anyone their ages getting engaged on their own. On the other hand, in the brief time she'd known him, Ursa recognized that Avatar Aang was no ordinary kid.

Anyway, Suki wanted to know the details of the proposal and Katara's answer, and Ursa felt compelled to steer things back to the point.

"Obviously, we can't all leave to attend the coronation," she remarked. "There's still a lot of work to be done here."

"That's true, and Appa can't carry very many that far. Aang suggested I bring Sokka, Toph, Iroh, and Suki with me." Katara looked directly at Ursa. "He must have forgotten about you. Of course, you're welcome to join us." Ursa lowered her eyes.

"Maybe he didn't forget," she answered quietly. "I'm still banished. Like it or not, I did commit a crime against the Fire Nation."

"You never had a trial," remarked Iroh thoughtfully, and his sister-in-law turned toward him in surprise.

"Of course not!" she exclaimed. "I was guilty. If there'd been a trial, I probably would have been sentenced to death."

"The Fire Nation has trials?" Sokka broke in, and Ursa almost laughed at the astonished look on his face. She could only imagine the things he'd heard over the years.

"Well, not really," she conceded. "I mean, yes, there are trials and a sort of procedure, but the result and the punishment for serious cases like this are whatever the Firelord wants. In lesser courts, it usually comes down to whoever bribes the judges the most." Sokka gave a low whistle.

"I guess Aang really does have his work cut out for him," Suki said. "Ba Sing Se isn't the only city that needs a complete change in organization."

"I think the Fire Nation will actually be harder," Toph said thoughtfully. "We'll have to educate almost everyone. Remember the kids at the school Aang went to?"

Ursa just had to interrupt when she heard that.

"You mean to say that the Avatar attended a Fire Nation school?" she asked incredulously.

"Only for a few days, but yes," Katara confirmed.

"We are all missing the point here," Iroh interjected. "At present, there is no one to keep the Princess Ursa from returning for the coronation. Come to think of it, what should we call you now? When Ozai became the Firelord, you technically should have been Firelady…" Ursa couldn't help but laugh. The title by which she should be addressed was the least of her concerns.

"For all of you, I am just Ursa," she responded. "If I do get accepted back, I can be known as Lady Mother Ursa. I am perfectly happy to be known best for being Zuko's mother."

"When Zuko is Firelord, he can pardon you," added Jeong Jeong.

"But he won't be Firelord until _after_ the coronation," Ursa reminded him. "I really don't mind waiting for that."

"Politics," Katara sighed disgustedly.

"Nonetheless, Iroh's point is valid," Master Pakku interjected. "The winner of any war sets the terms. Avatar Aang has won this one, so it stands to reason that he can change any laws he wants during this interim period."

"But Avatar Aang did not invite me." Ursa didn't know why she was arguing this so strenuously. Of course she wanted to go, but perhaps some part of her was afraid to return to the site of so much pain and strife. Worse, she feared that she would make the journey only to be turned away at the border.

While she'd been thinking all of this, the two Water Tribe siblings had exchanged glances, and Toph had begun to smirk.

"As the Avatar's bride-to-be, I think I can speak for him," Katara replied. "You're certainly welcome to join us."

"Then I gratefully accept," Ursa nodded to the girl. She was so young, Ursa thought, but with a self-possession that many women twice her age would envy. Although she hadn't known either Aang or Katara for long, they seemed a good match.

"What exactly did you do that was such a crime?" asked Bumi curiously, and Ursa felt herself flush as she looked down. She had told the story to Zuko but not to anyone else. Iroh probably had his suspicions, though.

"I – I made sure Ozai would become Firelord," she stammered. She glanced up long enough to see the questions in the eyes of those around her, but she was not in the mood to answer them.

"Then Ozai surely was aware of your crime before you committed it," offered Piandao. This was just about the last thing Ursa was expecting to here, and she blinked in surprise.

"Well, yes," she acknowledged.

"Well, doesn't that make him an…accessory or something?" asked Sokka with a puzzled frown. Ursa felt her expression mirror his. Her primary concern at the time had been to protect her son. She hadn't thought much beyond that.

"Precisely," Iroh came back in. "If he knew of what you were planning to do and made no effort to stop it, he was just as guilty. In essence, your exile was self-imposed to reduce the chance that anyone would discover the crime." He met her eyes steadily when she looked at him, and she suddenly knew that he had figured out at least the general idea of what had happened. More surprisingly, she saw understanding there and realized that he would also be willing to take extreme steps to save the nephew he loved. She relaxed a little.

Besides, Iroh and the others were basically correct. She left so that there would be no chance that she might slip and reveal her deed or be carrying evidence of it. Azulon's death had to be assumed to be natural in order for Ozai's ascension to take place. If the poisoning had been revealed, Ozai would have immediately been suspected as the primary beneficiary, and the deathbed request to have Ozai take Iroh's place as heir would probably have been tossed out. Even if Ursa had been discovered to be the culprit, everyone would think that Ozai put her up to it. At the very least, he must have known about it – as, in fact, he did.

"You are right," she conceded at last, inclining her head. "I would be honored to accompany you to my son's coronation."

--

Author's Note: I am sorry if there was a point earlier where Zuko told everyone his suspicions about what his mother had done, but when I looked back at previous chapters, I couldn't find any reference. It's hard stretching out a story this long.

Review responses:

Katsumara: Well, there's charm to both a planned proposal and a spontaneous one. Still, it's not like he hadn't thought about this before – need I say, The Fortune-Teller? Thank you for your comments.

Infernal-Sky: Thank you; I can always use God's blessings. I really wanted to show what was in Aang's mind during the energy-bending bit, and it seemed very natural for him to take the next step to make sure Katara knew what she meant to him.

Amber Pegasus: Thanks!

Marisol Maza: I don't know…I was pretty philosophical at 13. And Aang has often been full of wisdom in the show.

Monte-chan: I rather doubt there were too many unmarried women at the event, but you have a point. However, Aang wasn't thinking about any of that; he just wanted to make sure that Katara would still be with him when the mop-up work was done.

Tetsu Dienonychus: In the real finale, Zuko _began_ his epic battle but was knocked out fairly quickly, leaving Katara to clean up after him. I at least had Zuko facing Mai and Ty Lee and prevailing over both of them. And I'm actually glad this is winding down. To be perfectly honest, I've been thinking about other things over the last few chapters.

Private LL Church: I do borrow from myself occasionally, but I try not to repeat things too obviously. I'm glad I was able to surprise you. I sometimes worry about being too predictable, so I enjoy throwing my readers for a loop now and then.

Atem's Sister Atea: Yeah, I was trying to imagine Azula's face there. And I've been waiting to write that proposal for a long time! Of course, that's about the third or fourth Kataang proposal I've written, and it gets difficult to make them all different.

arizony: As I think I've said, Aang's love for Katara was a key element that was really missing from the end of the series. To be fair, however, the show sort of went back to Aang being childish in episodes like Western Air Temple and Ember Island Players, so I can't blame other writers too much for following that.


	36. Chapter 36: Musings

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Well, we're kind of in an epilogue mode now, so not much happens here. It's mostly some people thinking about their future. However, it does back up a little to Aang's point of view from the time Appa and Katara left.

**Musings**

Aang watched Appa until he became a speck in the sky. Only then did he turn back to the crowd that was still milling around. Most of the locals were drifting back to their daily activities, whatever those might be, but there were still some guards and fire sages at loose ends, not to mention the small army that Haru, Teo, and The Duke had managed to put together. Momo scurried out from wherever he'd been hiding and did a quick leap to reach Aang's shoulder.

Frankly, Aang had no idea what to do next. Much of his attention and energy for the past nine months had been devoted to winning this battle and ending the war. The rest had largely been occupied in convincing Katara that he loved her. Therefore, he had never given a great deal of thought to what his responsibilities might be after the war. Now that he'd had a glimpse into the lives of the three Avatars who had preceded him, he had a better idea of what was likely to be expected of him, but none of that had really prepared him for this moment. At a loss, he looked to Zuko for guidance. After all, he had at least been raised in the ruling class. Before Aang could say anything, however, a small voice rose up from somewhere near his right elbow.

"Avatar Aang, what are you going to do with me?" The question came from Ty Lee, who'd assumed a kneeling position near the foot of the stairs that led into the palace.

Aang was distinctly uncomfortable with this question, not least because of the expression of fear that accompanied it. He'd never wanted to have anyone's fate in his hands – not even Azula's – and he intended to make such situations the exception rather than the rule. Besides, he fully believed that most people were capable of managing their own lives if only they were given the freedom to do so.

"What do you think should be done with you?" he turned the question back onto her. Without warning, Ty Lee burst into tears.

"Please," she begged. "I never wanted to help Azula. She made me do it. I – I was afraid of her!" The curvaceous girl buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

It was a very convincing performance, and Aang suspected it might even have some truth in it. Azula, like her father, wasn't the type of person to have friends. She had tools, lackeys, and henchmen. If someone didn't want to be helpful to her, she could undoubtedly come up with ways to cause that individual to regret the decision.

"What did she do?" he asked quietly.

"I was happy at the circus," Ty Lee whimpered. "She took me away. I said I didn't want to help her catch Zuko, but she set my net on fire and released the wild animals."

The explanation was a bit garbled, and Aang only understood about half of it, but it was enough. After all, he'd just allowed Mai to walk away, and she hadn't shown any fear. Whatever the stony-faced girl's reasons had been for joining Azula, they had apparently exhausted themselves, and Aang was content with that. He saw no reason not to let this one go, too. He touched Ty Lee lightly on the shoulder. She started and looked up at him.

"Go back to the circus," he advised. Ty Lee blinked as though she didn't quite grasp what he'd said. Aang bent down to place his hand under her elbow and guided her to her feet. Then he smiled reassuringly.

"I won't punish you," he said. Suddenly, he sobered. "But you make sure that the circus you join treats its animals well." He'd heard some nasty rumors about Fire Nation circuses in his travels, and he didn't like the thought of any creatures being mistreated.

"Yes, absolutely," Ty Lee agreed quickly. She retreated from him a few steps, bowed respectfully, and vaulted over the low wall, sprinting away as soon as her feet touched the ground on the other side.

"Well, now that _that's_ settled…" Aang turned his attention back to Zuko. He drew closer so that they could confer without too many people overhearing them. "What do we do next?"

"I'm not sure," Zuko admitted. "A coronation usually occurs on the day of the funeral of the prior Firelord. Since Azula isn't dead, I don't know what should happen. I can't technically order anyone around until I'm crowned."

"Well, that's inconvenient," the airbender murmured with chagrin. "What does the next Firelord traditionally do between the death and funeral of his predecessor?"

"There isn't much _to_ do. The fire sages and family arrange the funeral and coronation, and life for everybody else goes on."

Aang chewed his lip thoughtfully. There was obviously a lot in the present situation that was unique, and he had to take things one at a time.

"So who's in charge?" he asked.

"I think _you_ are." At Aang's shocked expression, Zuko explained. "You're the one who defeated Azula and declared me the next Firelord. This is your show for the next three days."

Aang certainly hadn't expected that, but he supposed he should have. This was why he'd always tried to stay out of politics, and he began to understand why Avatar Roku hadn't acted more aggressively to replace Firelord Sozin. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Will the fire sages and royal guards protect you until you officially become Firelord?" he demanded urgently. Zuko hesitated, then shook his head.

"They have no reason to," he conceded. "My father disowned me, banished me, declared me a traitor, even tried to kill me. They probably don't know about all of that – Father's pride wouldn't have let him admit he let me get away – but there are bound to be a lot of doubts floating around. They'll all swear loyalty to me after I'm crowned, but until then…"

Aang nodded sharply and turned back to the diminished crowd. His eyes sought Hakoda, and he beckoned the chief over when he saw him.

"I need a bodyguard," Aang said quickly, indicating Zuko. "Several of them, actually. Enough to take shifts to protect Zuko until he takes the crown." Much to the Avatar's relief, Hakoda nodded with understanding and required no further explanation. He went to request volunteers for this assignment. Satisfied that this task was in capable hands, he returned to Zuko.

"You can trust anyone Hakoda picks," he assured the prince.

"I believe you."

"What else should we do?"

"Well…" Zuko thought it over. "The officials and fire sages should handle the ceremony arrangements. The servants will take care of things inside the house. The main thing we need to do is figure out where to put all these people."

Aang had already been thinking about that. Most of them presumably had places to stay around the city, but it was clear that they would need at least some of them to stay at the palace. In addition to Zuko's team of personal bodyguards, it would be a good idea to clear the palace of any remaining guardsmen (from what he'd seen so far, there weren't likely to be many), and keep some of the Avatar's allies around to guard the doors and such. This would at least be necessary until Zuko was safely crowned, and it would be prudent to continue keeping some of them around for a few months afterward.

Arranging for a new Firelord was a lot more complicated than he'd expected, and Aang barely suppressed a sigh as he went to talk to Haru and his father.

***

Zuko stood in his old room in late in the afternoon on the day after he had again become the heir apparent to the Fire Nation throne. Tomorrow, most of the few personal items he had here would be moved to the Firelord's suite. He would sleep only two more nights in the Crown Prince's room.

His interactions with people of different backgrounds had allowed Zuko to realize just how regimented life in the Fire Nation was. For example, everyone who lived in the palace had a room assigned based on their title, from the Firelord to the Wine Steward, from the Firelady to the 4th Assistant Scullery Maid. He could see how it was all a little odd from an outsider's perspective. He supposed it bore some resemblance to the separating walls in Ba Sing Se, but the concept was foreign to most other people.

Despite that, however, the future Firelord had not yet made up his mind to change everything. Many people were accustomed to knowing their place in life, and aspiring to a better room gave servants and tradesmen goals to achieve. That was not necessarily a bad thing. If there was one thing he had learned over the past year, it was that it was important to listen to those around you before issuing orders that could affect their lives.

Besides, he already intended to make a lot of changes for the better, and some of those had already begun. Foremost among these was the extinguishing of the fires in the throne room, which had always served to make the Firelord a forbidding, remote silhouette. Truthfully, Zuko had never liked the flames, and while he fully intended to be a leader, he also wanted to be more accessible to his people.

A light step came down the hallway, and a moment later, the bodyguards allowed Aang entrance. The boy glanced around the room disinterestedly while Momo leapt off of his shoulder to investigate the shadowy corners.

"A lot of memories in this room?" he asked.

"Not that many," Zuko replied. "Even less that are good. This room is for the Crown Prince, so I didn't move into it until after Lu Ten and Firelord Azulon died and my father was crowned Firelord. It was only a few years later that I got exiled." Of course, he'd stayed in it again briefly between his return from Ba Sing Se and the eclipse, but that hardly merited a mention. "The best times I had in this room were with Uncle Iroh, after he came back from the war. He used to tell me stories in the evenings. Now I understand that he was trying to teach me through those stories."

There was a pause as Aang seemed to be trying to think of what to say next. Suddenly, he smiled mischievously.

"So are you thinking about filling the room yourself?" he asked pointedly. "And maybe a few others?"

"What?" Zuko looked sharply at Aang and felt his face reddening at the implications. "That hadn't even crossed my mind! There's a lot to clean up before I can even think about…things like that."

"Don't put it off too long," the Avatar replied seriously. "I'm sorry if this is a little blunt, but you'll need an heir soon. Your sister can't rule without bending, but if anything happens to you, a civil war could start."

"Father?"

"If he's still alive, he would obviously try to take the crown again," Aang agreed. "There are probably a lot of people here still loyal to him."

Zuko sat down on the bed and groaned, holding his head in his hands. The royal family had been kept small for a long time, and he could only imagine the wrangling that could ensue as distant relatives who hadn't had a legitimate claim to the throne in centuries finally saw an opportunity for real power.

"You could take away his bending," he suggested.

"I could, and I will if it comes to that. I'd rather not do that too much, though. I don't want to be seen interfering with Fire Nation politics any more than absolutely necessary. As the Avatar, I have to be neutral."

Suddenly, Zuko laughed dryly and looked Aang straight in the eyes.

"You actually have a claim to the Fire Nation throne," he said, and he had the satisfaction of seeing the young Avatar's eyes widen with alarm.

"Me?" he squeaked, voice cracking and making him sound much more the adolescent than he had at any other time in the past day or so.

"My mother is Avatar Roku's granddaughter," Zuko reminded him. "There's no blood tie, but you're sort of related to him. You're even a firebender."

"I'll have enough to do!" Aang protested. "Besides, I just _said_ I can't be partial to one nation. I'm pretty sure that includes ruling one."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. What about Uncle?"

"Maybe. He really should have taken over for his father years ago, and if he defeated Ozai today, he'll have a good claim. The question is, will he want it?"

Zuko thought it over for a moment, remembering Uncle Iroh's unfettered delight in running a tea shop in the Earth Kingdom capital.

"I doubt it," he admitted. I think he just wants to go back to his tea."

"That would only solve things temporarily, anyway. He's not going to live forever." Aang paused, now wearing an apologetic expression. "He would make a good choice as a guardian and advisor to the Crown Prince, though, if that becomes necessary."

"So we come back to that," Zuko sighed. "I have to get married and start producing children for the sake of my country."

"Is it really _that_ bad?"

"If it's set up like my parents' was…"

"You'll be the Firelord. You can pick whoever you want."

Suddenly, Zuko realized that Aang was already engaged to be married, even if the wedding might still be years away. He looked narrowly at the airbender.

"You're already thinking about having children." It was not a question, and now it was Aang's turn to blush.

"I'm in a similar situation," he said awkwardly. "I'm the last airbender. If there are ever going to be any more…well, it's up to me."

"I see," Zuko murmured, finally understanding more of the similarities that they shared. "But you're twelve!"

"Thirteen," Aang corrected. "And I don't really see what that has to do with it. I told Katara the truth yesterday – I'm ready as soon as Hakoda's willing to let us get married. Besides, I like children. I'm sort of looking forward to having some."

Zuko just stared at him for a few heartbeats. He considered saying that it was only natural for Aang to like children, since he was practically one himself. In the end, however, he decided against it.

"You are the strangest kid I've ever met," he said instead. Aang broke out into a wide grin.

"I've heard that before," he admitted unrepentantly. "If it means spending the rest of my life with Katara, I can live with it." Zuko nodded, appreciating the relationship the pair shared and feeling a pang of wistfulness as he wondered if he would ever find someone like that, someone with whom he couldn't wait to start sharing a life.

"So, has Katara…?" he let the question hang there, unfinished.

"We haven't talked about it," Aang shook his head. "Still, she agreed to marry me, and babies are part of that. I think she'll be okay with it. She's always mothered everyone around her; she might like having her own children to mother for a change. She's even delivered several babies."

"Really?" that was news to Zuko.

"At the South Pole. Plus one on the way to Ba Sing Se."

"Wow." Zuko thought this all over. "I guess you two really are ready."

"What I'm more worried about right now is deciding on a place to call home."

"You're not going back to the Southern Air Temple?"

"I don't think so." The Avatar shook his head. "I had a happy childhood there, but there's nothing but death and decay now. Besides, you have to fly to get there, which would make it hard for people to reach me if they needed help with something."

"Or for friends to visit," the prince remarked. He smiled faintly. "We could make more of those balloons." It occurred to him that the Fire Nation must have found a way to get there if they'd wiped out all of the airbenders, but he didn't think that was a good thing to bring up. Aang smiled back.

"That's okay. Maybe it's better to leave that temple as a sort of monument. Maybe it'll help the world remember never to let anything like that happen again."

"I hope so," said Zuko honestly. He decided to change the subject. "When do you think the others will get here?"

"Actually, that's why I came to see you. I thought the earliest they'd probably be able to get here was sunset. Katara would have reached Ba Sing Se about this time yesterday, and she and Appa would have needed rest. Besides, everyone would have wanted to know what happened, and they'd need time to get things organized and pack. I wanted to ask if you'd like to come and watch for them with me."

"I'd love to," Zuko said. "I suppose I'll have to bring the bodyguards?"

"At least one."

So the two of them went with Hakoda to the platform outside the main doors of the palace to wait for their companions. In the meantime, Zuko had a lot to think about.

--

Author's Note: One more chapter down, and it still feels like I have a long way to go. The next one could take a while because I'm going on vacation for a few days.

Review responses:

Katsumara: Thank you for everything. Several people enjoyed Sokka's reaction to Katara's engagement. I can't think of any other specific response for you; sorry.

musiclover9419: Pretty much everything is going to be "filler" from here on out. Some readers said they wanted to get more detail in terms of proposals and weddings and such, so I'm trying to deliver.

Amber Pegasus: Well, that's good to know.

Marisol Maza: The ending of the series bothered me greatly in that Ursa had not yet been found and didn't get to be a part of the events. That's why it was enjoyable for me to give her a fairly significant role here, even more than I wrote for her in Destiny's Call. I'm glad you like my development of Toph. I've always thought she needed to show some maturing before any romance with her would be believable.

Big A. Lovin Avatar: I'm not sure what you mean by the next one. The remaining chapters will primarily be wrapping up relationships. As for the next story, I intend to focus on some other fandoms for a while, maybe just adding to my Avatar songfic collections now and then.

Monte-chan: Obviously, the show left a lot open to interpretation, including the political system of the Fire Nation. I'm glad you're enjoying my development of some of those things.

Private LL Church: An epilogue is usually, by it's nature, a short summary of what happened later. Have you read What You Missed? It's pieces from the characters' lives that were left out of Destiny's Call. I preferred to do it that way, in short snippets as they occurred to me.

Atem's Sister Atea: Yeah, I never really understood the reasoning behind Ursa's exile, so this was my attempt to give an explanation. Since nobody knew about it except Ozai and Ursa, why did she have to leave? Another thing I wish we'd seen more of in the show was Sokka's reaction to Kataang.


	37. Chapter 37: Preparations

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I'm using this chapter to sort of back up and give some of Hakoda's thoughts on the situation. My regular readers will find some of it familiar, although I tried to present it a little differently.

**Preparations**

Chief Hakoda stood beside Prince Zuko and Avatar Aang as they waited for their companions to return from the Earth Kingdom. Hakoda kept sending furtive glances toward his future son-in-law, trying to truly get his measure.

The young Avatar was so unassuming most of the time, but there was an air of quiet authority about him. As a leader himself, it was something Hakoda could sense. Besides, after witnessing Aang's battle with Firelord Azula yesterday, it would be a mistake to underestimate him.

Although Aang had twice come to Chameleon Bay – once to drop Sokka off and once to pick him up again – the first time Hakoda had seen him at close range was when his children had brought the unconscious Avatar to him after the fall of Ba Sing Se. Katara had pulled Aang from the brink of death and claimed that he had opened his eyes and looked at her before falling unconscious. The last thing Hakoda would want to do was doubt his daughter, but Aang did not truly return to the world of the living until several weeks later.

Under those circumstances, it was obviously impossible to get to know Aang, but Hakoda had taken the opportunity to observe Katara, and what he saw led him to believe that there was more than mere friendship or companionship between her and Aang. First of all, she had not left his side during the Fire Nation attack, fiercely protecting his inert form. Hakoda had known she could fight, but he'd never even imagined seeing her like that, wind whipping her hair and eyes blazing like a cornered animal.

Then, during the first week they spent on the captured ship, she refused to leave Aang's bed unless it was absolutely necessary. She bended small amounts of water into his mouth at regular intervals and, once a day, she'd use her healing abilities on the wound in his back. She'd eaten very little, and Hakoda suspected that she hadn't slept much, either. He'd passed by Aang's cabin once in time to see her start awake, shaking, from what had to be a nightmare. Once she'd taken a moment to collect herself, she'd moved over to Aang and taken his hand. The father in Hakoda had wanted to go and comfort her, but he didn't have any idea what to say, and he'd decided not to intrude.

Eventually, Sokka and Toph had convinced Katara that she needed to take care of herself if she wanted to be of use to anyone else. She began eating more, even if she did so mechanically, giving no sign that she tasted anything that went into her mouth. She also began taking turns around the deck, but that was almost worse than having her isolated in Aang's cabin. She floated about like a shadow, not really interacting with anyone. Her eyes held a haunted, empty look that Hakoda knew all too well; they reflected exactly how he had felt after finding his wife dead in a Fire Nation raid.

Watching all of this, Hakoda knew that he'd never be able to separate his daughter from the Avatar. She had managed to grow up without him, and though the thought saddened him, he was also unspeakably proud of her.

The Water Tribe chief came out of his reverie to find Aang looking speculatively at him.

"Something on your mind, Aang?" Hakoda asked.

"Actually, yes," Aang admitted. "When I asked Katara to marry me, it was sort of on impulse."

"You're not regretting it, are you?" Hakoda had no real doubt about the answer, but he felt he had to ask.

"No, never!" The young Avatar looked shocked at the very idea. "I just mean that I didn't have anything to give her, and I was wondering what your customs are."

"Customs?"

"You know, marriage customs. In the Northern Water Tribe, the man makes a betrothal necklace for the woman he's arranged to marry, but I know Katara didn't know that's what she was wearing until we got there. To the North Pole, I mean. So I thought your traditions must be different."

It took Hakoda a moment to catch up with everything Aang was saying, but when he did, he recalled Sokka explaining that the necklace passed from Gran-Gran to Kya and then Katara had originally been Gran-Gran's betrothal necklace.

"It's been a long time since we had a wedding at the South Pole," he mused. "Typically, the man gives the woman something made out of whalebone – a comb, perhaps, or a piece of jewelry."

"Whalebone?" Although he covered it quickly, Aang showed an expression of distaste at the mention of the substance.

"Is that a problem?"

"It's just…" Aang gave an apologetic shrug. "I don't believe in killing for what I need. I don't even eat meat. I just wouldn't feel right giving Katara something from the inside of an animal. I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize, Aang. You shouldn't have to give up _your_ traditions to join our family." Hakoda thought the matter over. "You can bend earth. There must be some types of stone that resemble bone. Make something out of one of those. That way, you'll honor both your traditions and ours."

Aang's face lit up at the suggestion.

"That's perfect!" he enthused. "I'll do that. Thank you, Hakoda."

Because they were involved in conversation (although Hakoda remained alert to potential threats around them), Zuko was the first to spot the flying bison coming in for a landing.

"There they are," he announced, and the trio watched in silence while Appa drew nearer. Katara jumped off before the six legs even reached the ground, in a hurry to embrace first her fiancé, then her father. A short-haired girl came down next, and Hakoda assumed that this was Suki, the female warrior he had heard about. Sokka handed the little, blind earthbender down to Suki, who lowered the girl gently to the ground. Katara and Aang both went to assist General Iroh to dismount, which left Hakoda reaching out a hand to a woman he did not know. She was about his own age, with straight black hair and golden eyes. She was beautiful, despite the deep sadness etched into her face.

"Thank you," she murmured when she reached the ground.

"My pleasure," he replied. "I am Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe. Sokka and Katara are my children."

"They are a credit to you," the woman responded. "I am Zuko's mother."

Hakoda looked at her with new eyes when he heard that. So this was the mother of this young man who would become Firelord.

"I'm glad you could make it, Mom," Zuko came forward to greet both her and his uncle. "Chief Hakoda, allow me to introduce the Lady Ursa."

"Lady _Mother_ Ursa," she corrected firmly. "I almost didn't come. Katara invited me and insisted that I'd be welcome."

"Yeah, I forgot to mention Ursa when I told Katara who to bring," Aang confessed. "Sorry about that."

"You had a lot on your mind," said Katara reassuringly.

"And…Father?" asked Zuko uncertainly. Several of the newcomers exchanged glances, and Hakoda suspected he knew the answer.

"Dead," replied Ursa finally. "Slain by the dragons."

Both Aang and Zuko bowed their heads at the news. Hakoda could not help but be relieved to learn that one enemy would never trouble them again.

"I'm sorry, Zuko," whispered Aang, sounding sincere. Considering that he had refused to kill Azula, his feelings probably were genuine.

"I think it had to be this way," replied Zuko solemnly. "He chose his path."

This meant Ursa was a recent widow, although she didn't seem to be showing any signs of grief. Then again, it might be a relief to be free of the former Firelord Ozai. Besides, from what Hakoda had picked up, she had been living in exile for many years. He experienced a brief pang of homesickness for the frozen landscape that he had been away from for too long already.

In the silence that followed, Sokka took the opportunity to step forward with his girlfriend.

"Since we're doing introductions, Dad, I want you to meet Suki," he announced. "The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Hakoda said, looking the girl over more closely. She had a pleasant, cheerful face with large eyes of a nondescript color. Her clothing was simple peasant attire, not much different from what Hakoda currently wore. "I've heard a great deal about you." Sokka blushed, but Hakoda pretended not to notice.

"Same here," Suki replied. "I really wish I could have been there with all of you on The Day of Black Sun."

"Who knows?" Hakoda returned, smiling. "With you and your warriors, we might have won."

"I think you overestimate us," Suki murmured, blushing in her turn. "But thank you."

"Don't forget about me," Toph interjected, marching up to Zuko and punching him on the arm, hard. Hakoda noticed with some amusement that Zuko seemed to be expecting this. However, instead of pulling away completely, he only withdrew enough to reduce the pain. It was almost a sort of social ritual between them.

"Nobody could forget you," Zuko told her honestly. "It's good to see you again. _All_ of you."

Meanwhile, Katara was regarding the Avatar critically.

"You're not wearing _that_ to the coronation," she said. It was not so much a question as a statement of fact, and Hakoda suppressed a grin at the resemblance to her mother.

"Um…" Aang looked down, seeming to notice for the first time the large scorch mark that ran across his waist. "I don't really have anything else."

"Well, we'll have to come up with something. You can't stand at the new Firelord's side like that."

Zuko cleared his throat, getting their attention.

"Actually, there's a sort of collection in the south wing, lower level," he informed the pair. "I think there might be some airbender robes."

"Would they still be any good after all this time?" Katara demanded doubtfully.

"Anything made of cloth or wood was sealed up tight. They should be as good as the day they were put in there."

"All right; let's go." Without another word, Katara dragged Aang off into the palace, leaving Hakoda shaking his head in wonder.

"I really ought to find something to wear as well," Ursa remarked, looking down at her sturdy but common clothing. "I haven't attended court in a long time. I don't suppose any of my clothing was kept?"

"No, but…" Zuko paused, surveying his mother from head to toe. "Plenty of Azula's things are here. It shouldn't take much adjusting to get them fitted for you."

"I don't think we should make it too obvious that she's here, though," Toph broke in. Zuko turned to look at her, then nodded.

"Good point. Only the Royal Seamstress will see her. Besides us, of course." He locked eyes with Hakoda. "Please have someone from your team guard my mother, at least until after the coronation."

"I will see to it personally, Your Highness," Hakoda promised. There was a little more discussion about proper attire for the ceremony, and he was surprised to discover that his only son had developed a taste for shopping during his travels.

***

Aang and Katara found a staircase that took them to the lower level Zuko had mentioned. It was completely dark, so Aang created a ball of flame in his hands. By its light, he could see that there were still torches in sconces hanging on the wall of the corridor. Hoping that they would still burn, he tossed his fire down the hall, splitting it to light six of them. Katara turned and smiled at him.

"Remember when you were afraid to use fire?" she asked.

"I wasn't really afraid to use fire," Aang contradicted. "I was just afraid of what I might do with it." Aang scanned the jumble of forgotten items with consternation. There may at one time have been an attempt to make order out of the chaos, but it looked like such efforts had long since been abandoned. Aang sneezed as he stirred up dust, just managing to catch himself before he hit his head on the ceiling. He concentrated on the dust particles as he returned to the floor, trying to keep them down. "Where do you think we should look?"

"Zuko said the clothing would be sealed up," said Katara, moving smoothly around obstacles as though she'd spent weeks here. "Knowing the Fire Nation, that probably means in metal boxes."

"Right." Aang agreed. On the one hand, searching these corridors and rooms alone with Katara presented a fascinating prospect. On the other hand, he didn't find their surroundings particularly romantic. In fact, it was kind of depressing – the war trophies of a century of conflict.

Katara seemed unconcerned by such musings, so Aang made an effort to assist her. He poked his head into the rooms he passed, looking for anything promising. The chambers were in slightly better order than the hallway, with weapons and armor displayed on racks and shelves loaded with dishes, statues, and other memorabilia. On the floor, however, it was clear that many items acquired later had simply been dropped or stacked in crates.

"Here," he called out, upon spotting several large, iron containers in one such chamber. "Maybe there's something in one of these." Katara quickly joined him, and they surveyed the boxes thoughtfully.

"Let's use waterbending to force them open," she suggested. "That way, we should be able to close them up again easily." Aang agreed, and they shared her bending water in order to wedge it between the lid and walls of the first box. They then created ice, which expanded to force the top up. This one did happen to contain several airbending robes, but Aang was hesitant to touch them. They were all that remained of people he might have known.

Katara appeared to understand, and she reached in gently to pick a set up. She eyed them, then Aang, and set those down. She repeated the performance until she found something that met her approval. She held them out like some sort of offering.

"Try these on," she requested softly. Aang hesitated only a moment before stripping down. He pulled the clothing on, wrinkling his nose at the indefinable smell of age and neglect. Meanwhile, Katara leaned the box lid up against a wall and spread a sheet of ice over it to provide a makeshift mirror. Once dressed, Aang went over to look at himself in it. Almost immediately, he made a face. He was forcibly reminded of the time when he was five or six and had tried on Gyatso's robe.

"I look ridiculous!" he exclaimed. "I'm not going to impress anyone like this." Not that he cared much about impressing people, but that was the whole point of this exercise.

"Hm. If it was taken in and up a little…" said Katara thoughtfully. "Well, let's keep looking."

Finally, after three more boxes and four or five good-natured arguments (at least two of which had been ended by one partner kissing the other as a means to shut him or her up), they had it. It was actually a combination of pieces from several outfits. There were close-fitting pants and boots, similar to what he had worn for most of his life. Over that was a sort of smock that had been part of a customary female airbender's costume. On top of that would go a shorter version of a full master's robe that Katara assured Aang she would cut smaller yet to suit him. Completing the picture was a medallion they'd found with the airbender symbol carved into it.

"You will look very handsome and completely in charge," she stated when she finally allowed him to get back into his other clothes so that his new outfit could be cleaned and altered.

"I don't want to look in charge," he objected. "I just want to get things settled here and in Ba Sing Se so you and I can start our life together."

"Funny," she responded with a raised eyebrow. "I thought we were doing that already."

"You know what I mean."

"Yes. Yes, I do." With that, Katara moved closer, and they finally took full advantage of being alone.

Unfortunately, it couldn't last. It had already been nearly dark when they'd left the others, and it had taken them two hours to decide on an outfit. They knew the minutes before someone came looking for them were numbered, but that only made them all the more precious.

--

Author's Note: Okay, some of you already know that I disliked the robes Aang wore at the end of the finale. I just had to make a reference to that, minor as the issue is.

By the way, I wanted to send out an apology to the person to whom I long ago said I'd write a storyline for a game. Life got in the way, and by the time I thought about writing to you, I'd lost your screen name. I think it was pntb-something? Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't get around to it, and I hope you worked something else out.

Review responses:

Katsumara: I think this chapter answered your question. Since Katara had not yet returned with the others, the Fire Nation crowd had not yet heard about Ozai's death. I suppose there could have been hawk messages, but I preferred doing it this way.

Tetsu Deinonychus: The "who's in charge" question was one that I thought needed to be addressed. In the actual finale, both Ozai and Azula lived, yet there was no indication of there being a problem with the succession. Granted, Azula hadn't been crowned yet, so I suppose they figured there was an opening there.

musiclover9419: There may have been some cleanup work, but the finale basically skipped two months to some kind of reunion in Ba Sing Se. What I really hated is that the Kataang reconciliation apparently occurred off-screen. That was a major flaw.

Halogazer: You and me, both. Another reader pointed out that I hadn't included any Aang/Zuko conversations for a long time. I really hadn't noticed.

Amber Pegasus: Thank you.

IJAKEI: I'm glad you're enjoying it. Some people misunderstand and get the impression that I don't respect the writers and creators. This is simply not true. I just think the ending could have used a little tweaking to complete the incredibly epic story they began.

Marisol Maza: I always have had a tendency to get bogged down in exposition. I have so many thoughts on this series, particularly how it ended, that I'm constantly struggling with myself over which things to include. You should see the virtual cutting-room floor!

Big A. Lovin Avatar: You wanted Kataang fluff? Here's a taste.

Monte-chan: The vacation was good except for getting rear-ended in our rental vehicle…Anyway, there's so much I want to wrap up in this story that the thought of it is a little daunting. I hope the readers will stay with me.

Atem's Sister Atea: Well, others have theorized that some of the Air Nomads survived and blended in with the population. However, it seems simpler to just have Aang be The Last Airbender for this story. I hope I didn't downplay the news of Ozai's death too much.


	38. Chapter 38: Another Coronation

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! If you get a break from family festivities, you can enjoy the feast of words that I am offering. Zuko's worries at the beginning of this chapter are a nod to my husband, who is constantly worrying over problems that could wait.

**Another Coronation**

The next day passed quickly as the various preparations for the coronation were completed. Zuko had decided to hold a feast after the ceremony, which meant additional food to be brought in and temporary cooks and servers hired. He and Aang had also arranged for the belongings of the prisoners from The Day of Black Sun to be delivered to the palace so that those people would have decent clothing to wear for the occasion.

By the evening, Zuko was so tired that he hoped he would wake up in time to be crowned. Of course, he had tasked a servant with making sure that he would, but it was one among many little worries that had descended upon his brain, demanding attention. What if he tripped over his robe? What if the people didn't accept him? What if they hurled insults and vegetables? Or stormed the palace?

Thinking beyond tomorrow, there were even more concerns. For example, there were many Fire Nation prisoners that Aang's friends had not freed, both in the capital city and beyond. Zuko would need to review those cases to determine whether they had been unjustly punished. He had no doubt that there were real criminals in his country, but he was also aware that many people who'd been incarcerated were simply unfortunate common folk who'd had the audacity to speak out against his father's policies. Then there were the soldiers and sailors that would have to be recalled and more recent colonists to re-settle somewhere.

Zuko groaned, holding his head in his hands as he sat on a chair in his room. He really should leave all of these things for another day, but he couldn't seem to stop thinking about them. Rising, he decided to visit his mother.

She'd taken her enforced solitude in stride, but that was probably made easier by the fact that she had already been in exile for several years. He tapped on the door, and Chief Hakoda answered it, ushering Zuko in when he recognized him.

Due to the secrecy surrounding her presence, no one could be posted outside the door, which had necessitated someone staying in Lady Ursa's sitting room. Zuko was pleased that Hakoda had really followed through on his promise to see to her safety personally.

His mother was seated calmly in a padded chair, appearing as serene as she had ever been. Her graying hair hung loose, and she brushed it out as though preparing for bed.

"You should be getting some rest," she admonished her son, but her smile indicated that she was happy to see him.

"I will soon," he promised. "I just wanted to see you first. Are you okay?"

"To be honest, I am a little nervous about being presented formally tomorrow. Are you sure it's appropriate?"

"Absolutely sure. Besides, I need you beside me." Zuko paused. "I'm nervous, too."

"Just remember who you are, and everything will be fine."

Zuko grunted, thinking that knowing who he was had long been his problem. He looked around the guest quarters she'd been assigned. The room still had the air of being vacant; his mother hadn't made a mark on them yet.

"Will you move back into your old rooms?" he asked idly.

"Actually, I was thinking I could just stay here." She waited until he returned his gaze to her and then looked him straight in the eyes. "The Lady Mother suite is so far from everything, and my old rooms should be reserved for the new Firelady."

"Oh, not you, too!" Zuko groaned, sinking into a chair opposite her.

"Me too?" his mother raised a delicate eyebrow.

"Aang was just saying that I should think about an heir. That there needs to be a clear succession."

"Was he? He's remarkably astute for one so young."

"Yeah, well, he's been thrown into a lot of things over the past year." Zuko paused before uttering a painful truth. "Most of that was probably my fault."

"You did the best you could," his mother reassured him, placing a hand over one of his. "But really, have you given the matter any thought?"

"A little, but…" for a moment, Zuko couldn't continue. There were still things about this subject that he hadn't even admitted to himself, which made it impossible to voice them to anyone else. Fortunately, his mother patiently waited for him to continue. "I understand the reasons for me to get married, but I'm not ready yet. There's still so much I need to do here, and there will be a lot of traveling. I want to be more or less settled here before I think about starting a family."

The silence stretched out, and the prince could no longer meet his mom's searching gaze. He was only barely able to keep himself from fidgeting under her scrutiny. He knew she could probably sense that he was keeping something back.

"You know, I always thought that you and Mai…"

"We were, for a while," Zuko admitted. "It – wasn't right."

"I see," his mother murmured, sounding as if she really did. She resumed in a lighter tone. "Well, it's your decision, of course. You do have a lot to deal with now without adding marriage to the mix."

The conversation turned to more innocuous topics until Zuko took his leave. When he returned to his quarters, exhaustion caught up with him, and he was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

***

The coronation went off smoothly, despite the short planning time. Sokka suspected, however, that there were far fewer natives attending this one, and he knew for a fact that this audience was more diverse than any Firelord crowning in living memory. Water Tribe warriors stood in formal dress alongside a motley assortment of earthbenders from Earth Rumble competitions and beyond. The remnants of Jet's freedom fighters mingled with nearly-naked swampbenders. Refugees from Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom villages alike crowded the courtyard, with uniformed Fire Nation soldiers appearing here and there amid the middle-class and common folk who had made it.

Sokka really couldn't blame the capital city residents for taking a pass on the event. After all, their last coronation had occurred only weeks before. They had their own lives to attend to, and they doubtless wanted to see whether this reign made a decent start before they took any interest in it.

For his part, Sokka was not much into pomp and lost track of the fire sages' droning early on. He was more interested to look about the crowd and think about what the assemblage might mean for the future. Maybe there finally could be a united world again, something he hadn't truly thought possible even after making friends with Avatar Aang.

_He did this, _Sokka thought with amazement. _That goofy kid my sister broke out of an iceberg did all of this. _It was true that he hadn't done it alone, but Sokka still doubted that anyone else could have brought this many people of so great a diversity together. Of course, Aang couldn't help but associate with people different than he was – his entire race had been wiped out.

For the first time, it hit Sokka that Aang and Katara's marriage could very well result in more airbenders, and he briefly entertained a vision of several small children zooming around on air scooters.

_Better them than me, _he decided emphatically. _One airbender in my life is plenty._

Of course, the Air Nomads would probably never be quite the same as they had been. Aang and Katara's children would be half Air Nomad and half Water Tribe, and when they grew up, they would have to seek husbands or wives among the remaining three nations. Aang's bloodline would be continually diluted, so they could only hope that enough airbenders would be produced through the generations to eventually maintain a viable population of them. It seemed very unlikely that there would ever be enough to form their own nation again. It was sad, yet it also meant that the remaining nations would always have a connection to the surviving airbenders. That could be a positive thing.

For that matter, it looked like the Southern Water Tribe was going to get an infusion of people from other places. Waterbenders from the North Pole had already gone there, and there were no unmarried women left in his tribe to match with the single warriors. He'd heard rumors that some of the men had begun courting Earth Kingdom women during the time they'd been assigned to patrol around Chameleon Bay. Then, there was Sokka himself. He cast a sidelong glance at Suki, promising himself to speak to her right after the coronation. He returned his attention to the ceremony.

Aang and Katara stood immediately to Zuko's right hand throughout, as though daring anyone to interfere. While Aang's getup was something Sokka could never imagine wearing, he had to admit that the Avatar wore it well. It was sort of a cross between his original outfit and the full robes they'd seen on the statues at the air temples. The orange cape held wide openings for his arms and ended at his hips, revealing the familiar close-fitting beige pants and brown knee boots beneath, and he wore a medallion over the top.

Katara, meanwhile, had decided to wear the silk Fire Nation clothing she had swiped. It was undoubtedly the nicest thing she owned, although, as her older brother, he would have preferred her not to have quite so much skin on display. She remained so close to Aang that Sokka would almost think that the pair of them had to be surgically detached from one another if he didn't know that they slept in separate bedrooms every night. He really couldn't be unhappy about their attachment, though. He had never imagined his sister would find someone so perfectly suited to her, and he genuinely wished her all the best.

Finally, the crown was placed, and Firelord Zuko rose to address the gathering. He kept his speech brief, essentially just announcing the end of the war and his intention to work with the leaders of the other nations in establishing the conditions of what he hoped was a lasting peace. When he concluded, Zuko took a step back and gestured to his left.

"For my first official act as Firelord, I would like to welcome back someone who has been absent from our court for too long. The Lady Mother Ursa has returned, and I wish all to greet and accept her as though she had never left."

Ursa stepped into the light, looking striking in her adapted court clothing of red and black. Sokka had never seen her dressed up like that, but her appearance couldn't hold his attention. When she emerged, she was supported by the arm of Sokka's father in his most formal tribal attire, and the young warrior felt his jaw drop. He'd known that his dad had taken a personal interest in Ursa's safety, but this part of the event came as a complete surprise. It did, however, explain why he hadn't seen him at the celebration.

Sokka shook off his astonishment as the crowd made their way to the banquet hall for the feast that Zuko had decided should follow the ceremony. Normally, Sokka was all for free food, but he held back, pulling Suki with him into a corner as he waited for the area to empty. She turned to look at him with a curious expression.

"Suki, I was wondering…how do you feel about ice?" he asked her.

"Ice?" She looked confused and maybe a trifle disappointed. "I guess it's…cold?"

"Um, yeah." Belatedly, it occurred to Sokka that perhaps he was being just a little too obscure. "It is. Where I'm from, the South Pole, it's covered with ice and snow. I thought you might like to go there with me sometime. Maybe when things are more settled here and in Ba Sing Se?"

"A whole land covered with snow?" Suki's eyes took on a faraway look. "I've never seen anything like that."

"It can be beautiful," he told her earnestly. "In summer, the sun's up all the time, and the ice reflects the light. It is cold, though. I'll get you a parka."

"I was counting on you to come up with more creative ways to keep me warm," she teased, arching an eyebrow. Sokka felt himself coloring.

"I can't be beside you all the time," he stammered.

"Oh, practicality. There's something to be said for that, too." Suki paused, gazing at him intently. "How long would you want me to stay?"

Sokka pondered briefly over what to say. Her boldness gave him courage, and before he could change his mind, he blurted out, "Forever. I mean, if it's okay with you."

The kiss following that offer lasted quite a long time.

***

Toph sat at the front table with Zuko and the others who had been closest to him in the weeks that had passed since his change of heart, although Sokka and Suki's seats remained conspicuously vacant while the food was served. It was very unlike Sokka to be late when food was present.

The constant shifting of hundreds of people provided a steady background hum to the blind earthbender's senses while the babble of voices all around blended until only the words uttered by the people closest to her were comprehensible.

She was in the middle of a crowd, yet Toph felt very alone. After all of the adventures she'd shared with those who sat around her, everybody seemed to have someone: Katara and Aang; Sokka and Suki; even Zuko had his mother and uncle. Only Toph was solitary.

It made matters worse that many of her companions were talking about their future. There were many things to discuss, certainly, and she didn't really begrudge them that. The Fire Nation social structure had to be completely reorganized, and the city of Ba Sing Se needed to be rebuilt both physically and governmentally. In addition, many of her companions had to make decisions about where they would live and how they would keep in touch.

Katara and Aang didn't speak much, but they didn't need to. Even from the other end of the table, Toph could sense their joy at simply being together. Their relationship had progressed beyond a need for words. When Sokka and Suki crept guiltily in, however, they added their voices to the conversation.

Toph seemed to be the only person who had nothing to look forward to. These last few months had been the best in her life. For the first time, she'd had freedom, as well as the satisfaction of being part of something really important. She couldn't imagine anything better than that. She didn't feel that she had a place in what would happen from this point on; diplomacy wasn't exactly one of her strengths.

So Toph sat in uncharacteristic silence, pushing food around her plate more than actually eating. Iroh noticed her reticence.

"Is something wrong, Toph?" he addressed her in a low voice.

"I just…I guess, in a way, I'm sort of sorry this is over," she replied, just as softly. She gestured around with her chopsticks. "I mean, everyone else seems to know what they're going to do next. I have no idea."

"I see. You won't go back to your parents?"

"I don't know," Toph sighed. "With Katara's help, I sent them a letter a while ago. It's not that I wouldn't like to 'see' them, but I wish I could be sure they'd accept me for who I am."

"You won't know until you talk to them again," he pointed out gently.

"Yeah, you're right." Toph nodded, her decision made. "I'll give them another chance." The last time she'd tried to explain to them, it hadn't gone so well, and they'd sent two earthbenders after her. Still, the magnitude of what Aang had accomplished over the last few days gave her optimism that circumstances could change. Besides, it wasn't like her family could hold her if she really wanted to get away.

"I'm glad to hear it." Iroh paused as he reached for a roll. "You know, I'm planning to return to Ba Sing Se and reopen my tea shop. Now that Zuko has new responsibilities, I could use some help there. If things don't work out with your family, I would welcome you."

"Thanks. I may just take you up on that." Feeling cheered, Toph tucked into her noodles with relish.

--

Author's Note: I wanted Sokka to come up with a way to propose that was neither traditional nor romantic but would get the idea across somehow. It just seems like him.

Review responses:

Katsumara: Let's just say there's nothing wrong with your eyesight. I liked the idea of Aang's new robes, but the way they were drawn seemed to defeat the purpose of them, which I assumed was to make him appear grown up and serious. Instead, he seemed lost in them and looked more like a child.

Tetsu Deinonychus: Unlike most writers on this site, I actually am married, so I guess that causes me to think about the other relationships that surround a marriage.

musiclover9419: I'm glad you liked my costume change and Hakoda's perspective.

Private LL Church: Favorite chapter? Well, that's good. As for the costume, I did change it slightly. I felt he should pay homage to his heritage while still wearing something that suited him. I do miss the gray outfit I made up for Destiny's Call, though.

Amber Pegasus: Not as exciting as action, perhaps, but I've always thought relationships were exciting in their own way.

IJAKEI: I don't know what you meant by "361," and I don't know how many chapters I have left. As many as it takes to finish the story, I guess. You'll have to keep reading to answer your question.

Marisol Maza: I do like to play around with the minor characters. I think they don't get enough attention. And I'm not the first to bring up a connection between Ursa and Hakoda.

Big A. Lovin kataang: I'll try, but for how long? I think there's an end in sight, but this description of what happens after the big battle is taking longer than I thought. That's what I get for wanting to pair almost everybody up, I guess.

arizony: As always, your reviews are a joy to read. If I could get a few hundred thousand people to respond as you do, I could be a successful professional writer. I sometimes got the feeling in the third season that the creators were intentionally tweaking fanfiction authors. It seemed rather childish.

Monte-chan: I first brought up the idea of having the robes in storage in a oneshot I did. I can't remember now if it was a songfic or in Flying Embers. I just expanded the concept here.

Atem's Sister Atea: Well, I had Sokka dwell on some of the issues you mentioned. There are still three lifetimes (plus the rest of Aang's) before another airbender will be needed to step up as the Avatar, so there will hopefully be a number of new airbenders produced, although it will be extra important to protect them.


	39. Chapter 39: Engagements

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

**Engagements**

The post-coronation revels did not stretch all that late into the evening, but most of the Avatar's companions still slept late the following morning. The days leading up to Zuko claiming the title of Firelord had been busy and stressful for everyone, and few had slept well. With the formalities at last behind them, they finally felt that they could relax, and their bodies caught up on some much-needed rest.

However, when Katara had finally rolled out of bed, washed up, and dressed in her Water Tribe clothing again, she found that Aang was already up. He sat in the palace garden, alternately playing with Momo and communing with Appa. Katara sat beside him and gave him a quick kiss.

"You're up early," she remarked.

"Habit, I guess," he shrugged. "I've always been kind of a morning person."

"So, what are we going to do today?" asked Katara.

"I'm not really sure. It's funny, isn't it? We've been trying to get to this day for so long, but what happens after that?"

"A lot of boring negotiations, as far as I can tell."

"Yeah." Aang paused. "In a few days, I'll need to go back to Ba Sing Se. There are still some things I left unfinished there."

"It would be nice to see if the king came back," Katara mused.

"Yes," Aang agreed. He looked straight ahead. "I was thinking that might be the last trip for our little group."

"Why is that?"

"Toph might want to go home, and Sokka and Hakoda are bound to head back to the South Pole soon."

"The rest of the warriors, too," added Katara. "They have been away from home a long time."

"They have. Katara, when they go, I think you should go home, too."

"What?" Katara was taken aback. "You're sending me away already?" She felt a little hurt to be dismissed like this.

"Don't put it like that!" he said with a pained expression. He cupped her cheek with his hand. "Katara, I want nothing more than to be with you always, forever. That can't really happen until after we're married, though, and we both have things to do before then."

"I know what _you_ have to do, but me?"

Aang smiled faintly, looking straight into her eyes.

"For one thing, your grandmother's about to get married," he reminded her. "You should be there for that."

Katara opened her mouth, then closed it again. In all of the tumult of the last week or so, she'd completely forgotten Master Pakku's announcement.

"You're right," she agreed reluctantly. "I should be there for her."

"When you left, you didn't really plan on leaving forever."

"Somewhere deep inside, I think I knew," Katara interrupted him. She was stubbornly fighting this, even though she knew how it would end.

"Maybe," he acknowledged. "Still, you didn't really get to say goodbye to everybody. You might have some things there that still mean something to you. It would be a good time to go through all of that."

"You do have some good points," she sighed.

"Besides," he gave her a shy, sidelong glance. "I need some time to make you a betrothal gift. I won't be able to do that if you're always here to distract me."

Katara had to admit that the prospect of a surprise softened the thought of being apart from him for what might be several months.

"A necklace?" she asked.

"I thought I might come up with something a little more original." Aang changed the subject. "I was also thinking that we should have our wedding there, where your tribe is. You can make the arrangements while you're there." Katara found herself protesting the implications of that.

"I won't be sixteen for more than a year!" she exclaimed. "You can't expect me to stay away from you that long!"

"Well, no," he admitted. "I promise I'll visit you as often as I can. And your father could always give his consent for you to get married earlier, couldn't he?"

"You're right; he could!" said Katara thoughtfully. "Let's go talk to him."

"You sure he's awake?"

"Okay, we'll stop for breakfast along the way. I came looking for you right after you got up, and I'm hungry!"

As it happened, they ran into Chief Hakoda in the parlor that had been dubbed "the breakfast room" by those who were staying at the palace by the Firelord's invitation. It had been converted into a cozy dining room for their use. The banquet hall was too large, the royal family's dining area was too small, and the servants' refectory was always crowded and noisy. Since there was no set schedule for today, a simple buffet had been laid out, with firebending servants on hand to re-warm dishes as necessary or fetch additional food.

Katara's father was almost finished when Aang and Katara got there, but he stayed to chat with them while they ate. Perhaps he sensed that they wished to ask him something, but there were important logistical planning issues that needed to be discussed as well.

As the conversation stretched out, Katara realized that she didn't know how to ask the question they meant to pose. Finally, looking around to make sure that no one seemed to be close enough to intrude on them, she decided on the direct route.

"Dad, we were wondering how soon you think we could get married," she stated bluntly. Aang shifted uncomfortably but said nothing, and the Water Tribe Chief raised an eyebrow.

"Are you in a hurry?" he asked curiously.

"Not really," Katara hastened to assure him. "It will probably be a few months at least before things are settled down enough here and in the Earth Kingdom that we'll feel comfortable taking the time off from everything for the ceremony and the honeymoon."

"We were just hoping we might not have to wait until Katara turns sixteen," Aang jumped in. "That seems like an awfully long time. I don't know how Katara feels, but…I've loved her since the day I met her. I feel like I've been waiting almost a year already."

Katara's father surveyed them both solemnly before settling his gaze on his daughter.

"You will be fifteen in a few months, Katara," he said at last. "I'd prefer for you to wait until then."

"You'd…prefer?" Katara echoed, furrowing her brow. She hadn't expected him to put it like that. Seeing her confusion, her father gave her a half-smile.

"You both completed the ice dodging, didn't you?" he queried.

"Yes," responded Katara slowly, and her expression cleared as she realized what he meant. Aang, however, still looked confused.

"By our customs, then, you are both full warriors of the Southern Water Tribe," Dad shrugged. "I may still be your chief, but it's not my place to give permission on a matter such as this. Ultimately, it is your decision."

Katara met Aang's eyes with a smile as she absorbed all of this. Both of them had effectively been adults in her tribe for months now and hadn't really thought much about it. After all, their main concern at the time was that Sokka had missed the ritual when it should have occurred.

"Thank you anyway, Chief Hakoda," Aang stood, bowed, and returned to his seat. "I was afraid you would think I'm too young to get married."

"Aang, you've proven yourself capable of a great deal in recent months, and you've convinced me that you know what you want." Dad paused at this point, turning back to Katara for a moment. "Katara, did you know that your mother was four years older than I was?"

"No, I didn't know that," the waterbender responded. She'd never really thought about it; her parents had always seemed the same age to her, and anyway, she'd lost her mother a long time ago.

"I knew I loved her from the time I was ten," he confessed further, his eyes fixing on a point somewhere beyond Katara's head. "It took several years for me to get the courage to approach her in that way, of course, and a couple more to convince her that I knew what I was talking about."

"I'm sorry you lost her so young," said Aang quietly. Dad acknowledged the sympathy with a nod.

"If I'd known I'd have so little time with her…well, let's just say I can't blame you two for wanting to get started on your life together. And I'm certainly not in a position to say that a 12-year-old isn't ready to make these kinds of decisions."

"Thirteen," Aang corrected, which caused Katara's head to whip toward him in surprise.

"What? When?" she demanded.

"Well, that's a little complicated," he began, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I was born two weeks before the summer solstice."

"You were still unconscious," Katara realized aloud.

"Right. By the time I figured out I'd slept through my birthday, we were roaming through the Fire Nation, and it just didn't seem like the time to bring it up."

"Is that why you wanted to have the dance party?" Several things were fitting together now.

"Well, yeah, one of the reasons," Aang confessed, looking at her apologetically. "I really did want to help those kids, though."

"And I think you did," Katara assured him.

"I don't understand what's complicated about this," Dad interrupted, obviously not following a lot of what was being said. Aang turned to him.

"You see, Katara broke me out of the iceberg about two months later in the year than I'd been trapped," he explained. "So technically, I was frozen for one hundred years plus two months. That means, if my math is right, I really wasn't thirteen until the day I defeated Azula."

Katara could do nothing but stare at her betrothed for a long moment. This seemed destined to be a day of surprises. She couldn't help but wonder when he'd had time to think all of these things out.

"Let's just go with your actual birthday from now on," she said finally. "I think that will be easier to remember. Either way, you should have said something. I'd have wanted to celebrate with you."

"Katara, you already gave me the best gift I could imagine," he replied, smiling brilliantly.

"What's that?"

"You said yes."

It was difficult, if not impossible, to argue with that, and Katara couldn't help returning his smile. Inside, however, her mind was already racing through the preparations she would need to make for the wedding. Aang was right; it would take her some time. She needed a new dress, attractive yet also warm enough for the South Pole. She could get a fitting during their trip to Ba Sing Se and have it made there. Maybe Aang would like a special suit for the event as well. Then, there was the effort of bringing in meatless food so that Aang would have enough to eat during their stay. Lacking the spirit grove of the North Pole, the Southern Water Tribe diet necessarily consisted of mostly meat, broken up occasionally by seaweed bread and cakes and stewed sea prunes. One advantage of the location was that she could bring fruits and vegetables well in advance and pack them in ice until they were needed.

"What about the winter solstice for a wedding day?" she suggested, deciding that should provide adequate preparation time. "We get daylight all the time then, it's usually our best weather, and it's about six weeks after my birthday."

"Perfect," Aang agreed. "Chief Hakoda?"

"I agree," Dad acceded. "It is a most auspicious day for a wedding."

"We'll have to make the guest list as soon as possible," Katara asserted, already eager to get started. "I want to get invitations to everyone so they have time to plan. It does take a while to get to the South Pole, and not everybody has a flying bison."

Before she could fly off to begin making lists and schedules, Sokka and Suki entered the room. Spotting Sokka's family, they came over to the table where the three were sitting.

"I'm glad you're all together," said Sokka, looking fondly at his girlfriend. "We wanted you three to be the first to know – we got engaged yesterday!"

"That's great!" congratulated Aang, while Katara emitted a squeal and hugged Suki impulsively.

"I always wanted a sister!" Katara exclaimed, releasing Suki and giving her brother a hug as well. After the loss he'd suffered at the North Pole, she was genuinely happy that he'd recovered enough to pledge his life to someone else. His association with Suki had been even shorter than Katara's with Aang, but she didn't doubt that they were suited for each other. "When did this happen?"

"Between the coronation and the feast," admitted Suki, coloring a little. "It wasn't easy keeping it to ourselves, but we didn't want to take anything away from Zuko."

"I never thought I'd be concerned about _that_," remarked Sokka, making a face, although his overall pleasure in the situation remained clear.

"We'd just decided to get married on the winter solstice," Katara offered. "What are you planning?"

"Wait – the _next_ winter solstice?" asked Sokka. When Katara confirmed that, he added, "That's awfully soon."

"With the way our lives have been for the past year, we didn't see the point in putting it off any longer than we had to, and Hakoda agreed with us," Aang said with a shrug, but Katara could see his searching gaze and knew that he wanted his friend's approval. He locked eyes with Sokka for a long moment.

"Yeah," Sokka said slowly. "Yeah, I see what you mean." His eyes wandered back to his own fiancée.

"We were hoping we could come with your warriors when they go back to the South Pole, Chief Hakoda," Suki took up the explanation. "If you wouldn't mind stopping by Kyoshi Island on the way, we could have the wedding there. Just something small."

"Do you really think you can put something together that fast?" inquired Katara, thinking about all of the arrangements that had just been going through her own head.

"Believe me, my mother will make more of a fuss than I want even with only two days' notice," sighed Suki, rolling her eyes. "I definitely don't want to give her more than that. You see, she never really expected me to get married. Being a Kyoshi Warrior may be perfectly honorable, but it doesn't exactly bring suitors to your door. It's going to be a celebration throughout the island whether I want it or not."

Katara didn't know what to say to that, but it was the first time that she'd ever considered that being without a mother at this time of life might not be such a bad thing. She didn't believe that her mom would have become overbearing, but then again, she'd never had the chance to find out.

"Our family seems to be growing faster than I could have imagined," laughed Katara's dad.

"I think it's terrific," Aang announced. "I always wanted to have a large family." After he uttered the words, he suddenly blushed, as though realizing that his words could be taken in more than one way. Katara smiled at him reassuringly and squeezed his hand. He'd grown up not knowing his parents or other relations, having only a guardian to raise him. She could well imagine that he'd wished for a family to call his own, and she was more than happy to expand hers to include him.

She also wasn't averse to the idea of providing him with the first blood relations he would ever know – his own children. The thought of being remembered as the Mother of a Lost Nation held some appeal.

--

Author's Note: I will confess that I wasn't much into the planning of my own wedding in great detail – I'm more like Suki in that respect – but I could see Katara really enjoying it.

Review responses:

musiclover9419: I had a good holiday, and I'm glad you enjoyed Sokka's proposal.

Private LL Church: Sometimes brevity is nice. Thanks.

Amber Pegasus: Thank you.

GeorgiaPeaches: I'm glad you could join us. I didn't realize just how many loose ends there were until I got to these post-war chapters.

IJAKEI: I have a respectable number of reviews on this story, but it doesn't hold a candle to the response I got for Destiny's Call. Then again, I was writing that during the height of interest in the show.

Magnumus: I'm happy I could help with your mood. Everything from here on out should be fairly cheerful and pleasant.

Big A. Lovin kataang: Thanks. I'm trying to get more on schedule.

Monte-chan: I confess that I did not find Toph hugging The Duke in the finale to be particularly satisfying – or in character, for that matter. Hers will probably be the last story to wrap up, but I do have a plan.

Silverkyo: As far as chapters, this might end up as long as Destiny's Call, which surprises me, but it's taking longer to complete the individual stories than I expected. In word count, however, this story will still fall far short because the last 20 or so chapters of Destiny's Call were significantly longer than the chapters I'm writing for this.

Atem's Sister Atea: As I said, I did not invent the Ursa/Hakoda ship, but I found the idea intriguing. I read a oneshot where they were dancing together and Sokka was complaining about having to be Zuko's stepbrother. I think Toph will reunite with her parents in another two chapters.


	40. Chapter 40: Decisions

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Whew! Christmas is over, the presents have all been unwrapped, and the family tour is completed. The house is still a mess, but I felt I owed you this chapter. Thank you for your patience!

**Decisions**

Zuko heard soft footsteps in the hall outside the Firelord's study and knew instantly who was approaching. There weren't too many people wandering around the palace barefoot, after all.

"Why didn't you go with the others?" he asked, without looking up from the parchment he was reading. Toph paused in the doorway.

"Are you sure you're not an earthbender?" she asked petulantly, and at that point, Zuko did look at her in order to properly enjoy the expression of consternation on her face. She'd obviously been hoping to surprise him, and he'd foiled that attempt. Partially, anyway; he had honestly not known she'd stayed behind today.

"I know the palace," Zuko shrugged, stretching to work out the kinks of sitting in one position too long. "Including its sounds."

"Hmph," Toph grunted, moving into the room and curling into an overstuffed chair near some shelves. "What are you doing in here?"

"I asked you first," he reminded her.

"I don't really like flying," she said nonchalantly. While Zuko knew that to be true, he could tell that it wasn't the complete answer. Since Toph was blind, she didn't know how to avoid certain facial hints that could convey when she was uncomfortable about something or attempting to be deceptive. A rebellious part of Zuko's mind hoped that she secretly wanted to spend some time alone with him. Because that thought was so silly, he quickly set it aside and answered her question.

"I'm looking through the court records of everyone who's in a Fire Nation prison," he explained. "I'm starting with the people here in the city, but I'll eventually have to review all of the cases in the rest of the nation _and_ the colonies." Yesterday, he'd spent much of his time writing or dictating recall orders for the various military units spread across land and sea and making sure that the hawks were sent out promptly. He was wasting no time in righting the wrongs of his forefathers.

"You know, you can't do everything yourself," Toph remarked sagely. "If there's one thing I learned growing up in a high-class family, it's the importance of delegation." She made a face. "I would have 'delegated' my earthbending lessons if I could have. They were useless, anyway. All my real training came from the badger-moles."

"I don't plan to personally run everything forever," he assured her, even while he considered the novelty of learning bending directly from the creatures who originated it. He was still hoping to get some instruction from the dragons someday. "The problem is, I'm not sure who to trust right now. I had to dismiss all of the generals and admirals, obviously, and I don't know which of my father's councilors are trustworthy."

"I could help you with that, you know," she pointed out, sounding a little exasperated with him. "I can tell if people are lying."

"You'd sit through interviews with me?" he asked, startled. He'd known about her abilities but hadn't wanted to ask her about something so mundane. "It's bound to be really boring."

"I'd love to help you," she said quickly, and her cheeks reddened slightly. She also looked just a bit flustered, which was very unusual for her. It was kind of cute, actually. "I mean, we're all on the same team, right?"

"Right," he agreed, feeling like a weight had been lifted off from him. "Let's work on coming up with a list of questions to ask them. I'll send out royal summons for key people to meet with me tomorrow."

"You should also make it known through the city, and maybe even throughout the nation, that you're looking for dependable people to do some jobs for you. Maybe you could set up a system of regional governors that report to you, make recommendations, that sort of thing. The cities could still have their own councils or whatever, but you'd have your own people keeping an eye on things."

"Those are good ideas," Zuko acknowledged, pleasantly surprised by her acumen. "How did you learn so much about governing?"

"I don't know that much about it, really," Toph dismissed her knowledge. "I'm just suggesting things that make sense to me."

"If only more leaders thought that way," the young Firelord mused. He rolled up the scroll he'd been reading and found some blank parchment. They spent much of the day completing the tasks Toph had mentioned, and Zuko made notes of things he needed to follow up on later. Getting everything down on paper in a logical arrangement did make it all seem more achievable. He clearly needed to learn that tackling big problems in small steps was the best way to make progress. It was a concept he'd always struggled with.

After he'd ordered supper to be brought to them, Zuko remarked that it had been nice not to have to spend the day alone.

"You know, I was planning to go back home soon, at least for a while," Toph said hesitantly. "But I wouldn't mind staying here, if you want me to."

Zuko's first impulse was to immediately say yes. He could use the companionship, even though Aang would be sticking around for a while. There was his mother, too, but that wasn't quite the same as having someone he could call a friend.

However, he forced himself to think the idea through. Now that he was the leader of the Fire Nation, he couldn't afford to be as impulsive as he previously had been. How would it look for the Firelord to have a 12-year-old girl living with him indefinitely? Public relations had never been his strong suit, but even _he_ could figure out that such a situation would be just asking for trouble.

"Toph, I'd like that, but…" he didn't know how to put it without offending her.

"But I'm just a little kid," she finished for him, her face falling. Zuko winced involuntarily. He hated the thought of disappointing her in anything, or making her feel that she was less than she was. She'd already had enough of that in her life, and he knew what that was like.

"No, you're _not_ just a kid," he said forcefully, moving over to kneel in front of her. Even if she couldn't see him, he felt better addressing her face to face. He'd even grown used to the disconcerting way her eyes seemed to gaze into the distance when you spoke to her. "But there are a lot of things I need to deal with here. One of the first is getting my people to accept me as their leader. I'm planning to rule differently than anyone they've had for over a century, so that's not going to be easy. I've shown that I'm going to work with the other nations, but I also need to make it clear that I'm on the Fire Nation's side. Do you understand?"

"So what you're saying is that you can't have a constant companion from the Earth Kingdom hanging around," she said slowly.

"Exactly," he confirmed, relieved that she'd grasped his difficulty so quickly and grateful that he didn't have to go into the more personal issues involved. The way he was starting to feel about her…well, at her age, it was far from appropriate, even if she would have been receptive. "They'll accept Aang because he's the Avatar. At least he's a firebender, and we can point out that he's Roku's successor. When everyone else from the other nations leave, though, it would look strange if you weren't with them."

"Yeah, I guess," she sighed mournfully, and Zuko could sympathize with her. A part of him wasn't ready for the adventure to end yet, but he knew that the best thing for the world and his people was for him to buckle down and take the business of state in hand.

"Besides, I'll have to be traveling a lot for at least a year," he added in a lighter tone. "Getting to know my own people, going to meetings with other world leaders, that kind of thing. That will probably mean a lot of flying, either on Appa or an airship."

"Better you than me," Toph conceded, looking somewhat cheered. "If things don't work out at home, I can always go work for Iroh. It might not be as exciting as fighting, but he's at least got a lot of great stories."

Zuko just barely stopped himself from asking if she was planning to hear about his childhood. If she hadn't already thought of that – and it was likely she had – there was no point in bringing up the fact that she could unearth a great deal of embarrassing information about him from his uncle.

"I'll look you up when you're sixteen," he promised instead. He was so glad that she was taking this well that the words just spilled out before he stopped to think about them. Only afterward did he realize that he was all but offering her an engagement when she was old enough. His mind raced to find a graceful way to back away from that if she seemed uncomfortable with it, but such a retreat was not necessary.

"Fifteen," she countered, either not catching the implications or more accepting of them than he would have dreamed.

"Done," he agreed willingly, hoping that there would be enough to occupy him in the intervening years to keep him from counting the days too obsessively. He thought briefly of Katara, who had not yet reached her fifteenth birthday but was quite grown-up. Fifteen might be a reasonable age, and he would be nineteen then. That age difference didn't seem nearly so daunting as that between twelve and sixteen.

"My birthday's at midwinter," she informed him in a businesslike tone. "Don't be late."

"I won't," he said seriously, although hiding his anticipation of that day was probably a fruitless exercise with her. Regardless, they returned to the tasks they had interrupted and completed the day in warm companionship.

***

When Appa and his passengers arrived in Ba Sing Se, they discovered that the Earth King had also returned. Aang decided it was best for the king to spend copious amounts of time closeted with his remaining generals, the Old Masters, and Sokka. All of these were people who knew how to lead, and that was a skill the young Avatar hoped could be absorbed. The king had learned much about his nation and people during his weeks of traveling, but he still had a lot of studying to do if he was ever to become the ruler the Earth Kingdom needed.

In the meantime, Aang had to find the king some new counselors and take care of other business. When he felt he had at least the broad strokes of his master plan worked out, he addressed the people of the city, who had gathered in the palace circle to hear him. The Earth King, Sokka, and Katara stood behind him. It was Katara's support, especially, that gave him the balance and courage necessary to make this momentous announcement. He was not the first Avatar to tackle such weighty political issues, and he probably wouldn't be the last, but none had ever done anything like this so young.

"Centuries ago, Avatar Kyoshi created the Dai Li," he began. "She did it as a compromise, to settle a dispute. They were to be the guardians of culture for Ba Sing Se, while the monarchy continued to hold political authority.

"As time passed, though, the Dai Li forgot their original purpose. Instead of holding their important place in society, they established themselves as an elite group of earthbenders. They gradually took power away from the king, the military, and even the people themselves. In the end, as you all know, they were turned into a special force of warriors to serve the Fire Nation. In light of the Dai Li's failure to live up to the promises made at their creation, I hereby disband them."

There was a gasp and some murmuring through the crowd, but Aang had expected that. Whenever people were used to a tradition, anything that disrupted that tradition was bound to be a shock, even if it was a positive change. He waited until there was enough quiet to resume speaking.

"Of course, the Dai Li provided an organized group that performed several necessary functions." He had thought long and hard over this part, as well as talking it through with his friends and the Old Masters. He believed that his idea would prevent the kind of corruption that had rotted the Dai Li, but he couldn't help worrying about the things he might not have foreseen.

"Two of the Kyoshi Warriors have agreed to remain here when the rest of them go home," Aang continued. "They will train non-benders in their fighting techniques, creating a group of bodyguards for the Earth King and his highest officials. Each of these bodyguards will perform their duty for six months at a time, on a rotating schedule, and none of them will serve for more than ten years. There will also be two warriors from the neutral Kyoshi Island here at all times, also switching every six months. When not serving in Ba Sing Se, they will return to their island to continue their own traditions.

"Also, Master Piandao and Master Jeong Jeong will be staying for a few months. I know they're from the Fire Nation, but they helped to free your city and your kingdom, and I trust in their loyalty and ability." The only thing they were truly bound by was the organization of Flowers, and that didn't seem to pose a threat. Anyway, the other Old Masters had important things to do elsewhere. Although Iroh would probably come back here to run his tea shop one day, his nephew needed him now, and Aang had the distinct feeling that the retired general would be more than happy to set politics aside as soon as he felt that Firelord Zuko was on his feet. "They will be the king's temporary advisors and will help to create a city council and civil service to run the day-to-day business of Ba Sing Se."

He took a few questions about the details of this plan before backing away and allowing the Earth King to speak to his people in what was likely an unprecedented way. Aang didn't listen to it very closely. He didn't really need to, considering that he'd written most of it. Basically, the king was thanking his people for their support, apologizing for the failures of the past, and promising to take a more active interest in the operation of his kingdom. He also announced that all residents were welcome to apply for the civil service positions that would be created as part of the rebuilding. Eventually, there would need to be a court system set up to hear criminal cases. In the meantime, the king and his close advisors and generals would review the prisoners still in custody.

One of the many benefits to freeing the city had been discovering Smellerbee and Longshot safe. They'd been captured by Long Feng during Aang's earlier search for Appa, but Aang had made certain they were released after Long Feng was exposed as a traitor and taken into custody. The two freedom fighters had disappeared into the city masses but had surfaced again during the recent battles. After some discussion, it was decided that their talents were valuable to the Earth Kingdom. They would serve as a sort of secret attachment to the king's bodyguards, watching out for trouble during his public appearances. Longshot had even now positioned himself on a roof where he could take out anyone who might pose a threat. Smellerbee, meanwhile, was blending into the crowd, watching and listening to the people around her. She would later report on their reactions.

King Bumi was directing the rebuilding of the outer walls by the city's earthbenders, but the inner circles of Ba Sing Se were going to be left open for the time being. Hopefully, the mingling of the people would lead them to greater unity. Everyone was finding their place in the world after the end of the long war.

Including Aang. After the formal event was concluded, he went walking with Katara in the palace garden. He wanted to just enjoy spending time with her, but he kept second-guessing himself.

"Are you sure I'm doing the right thing?" he asked, for probably the twelfth time in two days.

"Of course I'm sure," she said, also repeating herself. "You've made sure no one can get too powerful by limiting the time they can serve the king. Nobody can make a career out of it while they try to get more control over others, like Long Feng."

"I guess," Aang sighed. "I just don't want to see things fall apart in 600 years or so, like the Dai Li did."

"No one can predict everything that could go wrong," Katara pointed out. "I think you did the best you could. It's up to them now." She gestured to take in the entire city.

Aang could only nod, still deep in thought. There were still quite a few details that needed to be hammered out, and he didn't yet know how intimately he could or should be involved with that. However, Katara was right, and he needed to get ready to hand the reins over to the people who would be affected by the processes that would govern them in the future and trust them to take care of themselves. He took a deep breath.

"I won't be far away if they need me," he decided aloud. "That's the best I can do."

"Exactly. Besides, we have more important things to talk about."

"Like where we're going to live after we're married?"

"That's one thing, but I was thinking more about what you would wear to _get_ married." Katara was viewing him with that appraising eye again, and Aang looked down at his new ensemble in confusion.

"What's wrong with this?" he said.

"I thought you might want to get something new for the wedding. I was going to find a dressmaker while we're here and get fitted. Maybe you'd like to join me?"

Spending the day getting poked and prodded didn't sound like very much fun to Aang, but Katara's eyes were shining, and she was looking at him in that adorably pleading way…

"I don't think a dressmaker would be the right place for me," he made one, meek effort.

"Of course not," she laughed gaily. "We'll find a tailor for you after I'm done." She took his silence for consent and swiftly led him away through the city streets. It appeared that the rest of Aang's day was scheduled. However, he found that he didn't really mind all that much. Besides, he couldn't very well spend the rest of his life searching through museums and ruins for his clothing.

--

Author's Note: Did you like my solution for Ba Sing Se? I thought it was a good idea. I'm sorry if I finished up Zuko and Toph sort of quickly, but really, I can't take them much further without thinking "pedophile!"

Review responses:

Marisol Maza: I know the last chapter was a lot of dialogue, and I may be guilty of trying to fit in every conversation idea I've had for the various characters over the past few months. And yes, my own interest in this story is waning as I wind down, but I'm trying to wrap things up satisfactorily.

Katsumara: I agree, you have to make some allowances for people growing up faster in these saving-the-world sort of situations. Besides, 13-year-olds in the Middle Ages got married all the time. Especially the girls, often to men in their 40s or 50s. It's all a matter of perspective.

Private LL Church: Yeah, I'm speeding things up more than Destiny's Call. I have the outlines of the Kataang wedding in mind, but it's difficult not knowing what the traditions are in this world. It gives a writer the freedom to make everything up, but I'm leery of making it too Western.

things24: I doubt the show would ever have gone into this much detail in terms of engagements and weddings, but I had some requests to cover them here. I'm happy you're enjoying the story.

Amber Pegasus: Well, I hope so! The world needs airbenders, after all…

GeorgiaPeaches: I'm going to make a serious effort with the weddings, but I'll have to make up several different traditions for the different couples. I wouldn't want to be repetitive.


	41. Chapter 41: Visiting Hours

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: When I uploaded the last chapter, I forgot that the system would not send out a notice to everyone because I was replacing one chapter with another. I hope enough people found it to enjoy it anyway, and if not, you get two to read. The first wedding scene is included!

**Visiting Hours**

Ursa rode in a palanquin to the large prison tower in the city. It felt strange to ride on the shoulders of others after the years she'd spend fending for herself, but she had to admit that there were benefits to being able to draw the curtains and travel to her destination unobserved. She would have felt far more comfortable with the situation, however, if Chief Hakoda had not insisted upon being one of her bearers. It wasn't right for someone of his stature to demean himself with such a chore, but the man could be stubborn when he made up his mind about something. If Zuko could be believed, Hakoda's daughter had apparently inherited that trait.

Of course, she could see his logic. Dressed as the other servants, he could accompany her as a bodyguard without anyone taking notice of him. And if Ursa were honest with herself, she was actually grateful for his presence. She didn't anticipate a pleasant interview ahead, but she felt it was something she had to do.

After much deliberation, Ursa had decided to don the white of mourning. Perhaps she should have done so for the coronation, but there was nothing available at the time. She had since managed to obtain two sets of dress. Although there was no real affection between her husband and herself, she felt that she ought to observe the minimal propriety of wearing mourning clothes for six months.

Once at the prison, Ursa was led to Azula's cell, Hakoda trailing respectfully behind her. He waited in the corridor to give her some privacy. The Fire Nation's first female Firelord sat with her back to the barred door as the guard announced that she had a visitor. Azula's back stiffened and her head came up, as though she were considering the possibilities of who might have come. Finally, she turned. When she saw her mother, her eyes widened for a second before her face settled back into an expression of affected indifference.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded in a flat tone. There were several ways to interpret that question, and Ursa decided to answer the two main ones that occurred to her.

"Zuko found me and invited me back," she replied, keeping her voice level and calm. "I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to say that…I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?" Azula's eyes held suspicion. Before Ursa could answer, though, she followed up with another question. "Why are you in mourning?"

The golden eyes bored into Ursa, and her throat felt suddenly clogged. Had no one told her? Swallowing several times, she returned Azula's gaze steadily.

"Your father, Azula," she said quietly. "He's dead."

"Who killed him?"

"The dragons. A pair survived your great-grandfather's purge and have been living secretly for decades."

Azula stared into space, taking the news in. At last, she lowered her head and inhaled deeply.

"That doesn't really explain why you're dressed in mourning," she challenged when she raised her face again. "You didn't care about him. Or me."

"That's not true! I love you and Zuko very much. And Firelord Ozai was my husband, whatever happened between us."

"You left us," said the young woman in challenge.

"I left because…" Ursa trailed off, not knowing either how much Azula might already know or how much she really wanted to go over this again.

"You wanted to save Zuko," Azula finished triumphantly. "I guessed. I heard what Grandfather wanted Dad to do."

"Yes," Ursa agreed. "He's my son. I came up with a way to keep him alive and make Ozai Firelord. Everybody got what they wanted."

"Even you?" It was a penetrating question, and Ursa could do nothing for a moment but stare at the daughter she no longer knew – the daughter she had, perhaps never known.

"No," she conceded. "I did what I had to."

"To save my weak, useless brother!" Azula hissed venomously. "Thanks to his friend, the Avatar, I'm useless now, too. You always loved him best." She turned away while Ursa's thoughts raced. The topics were coming at her too fast. She didn't know what to respond to.

"Perhaps I did," Ursa admitted slowly, and Azula turned in surprise at the blunt confession. "You see, Avatar Roku had spoken to me in a dream and told me that I would have a son who would help the new Avatar restore balance to the world. So I may have favored Zuko from the day he was born. If that's true, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

"You thought I was a monster," Azula accused in a whisper. There was anger in her expression, but was there a touch of vulnerability as well?

"No! I just…" Ursa paused, collecting her thoughts. "There's so much of your father in you. From an early age, you were cold, calculating, and cruel. I didn't know what to do with you." Such behavior in a child had frightened Ursa some, but it didn't seem constructive to say so. The silence stretched out, and when it seemed clear that the former princess would add nothing more, Ursa spoke to her again.

"You're not useless, Azula," she asserted. "I do care about you, whatever you may think, and it's not too late. You're still young; you have your whole life ahead of you. I know it may take some time, but if you decide to support Zuko, I know he'd forgive you. You could help him and serve your people."

"Zuzu always was too forgiving. And trusting." Azula sounded a little thoughtful, if mostly scornful, and Ursa could only hope that she would consider the possibility of reconciliation. "Goodbye, Mother," she breathed, and Ursa knew she had been dismissed. She returned to join Hakoda, and they walked slowly toward the exit.

"How did it go?" asked Hakoda tentatively.

"About as well as I expected," Ursa sighed heavily. "Will I ever be able to talk to her as mother to daughter?" She didn't really anticipate an answer, but Hakoda chuckled.

"I don't know, but I've got a daughter who's been without a mother for a long time," he pointed out. "You're welcome to borrow her and practice." Ursa couldn't help smiling at him.

"From what I've seen, she's a remarkable young woman," she responded. "I'd like that." Katara didn't appear to need very much advice, but perhaps it would be best to try out the mother-daughter conversation with someone for whom she wasn't likely to cause real problems.

"She is remarkable, and I'm afraid I can't take much credit for that," he demurred. "I've missed most of the last three years. If anything, it's her grandmother who's responsible."

"I look forward to meeting her," she murmured as he handed her into the palanquin for the return trip.

***

Just a few days after the journey to Ba Sing Se, the Water Tribe warriors were ready to return home. They stopped off in the Earth Kingdom so that those with sweethearts there could ask if they were interested in getting married. For those that were, the ships remained at anchor long enough for the various weddings to take place.

After that came the planned detour to Kyoshi Island. Sokka, Suki, Aang, and Katara all rode above the fleet on Appa, knowing that it was probably the last journey they would take like this. Toph was more comfortable in a ship, so she sailed with the warriors. If she was feeling nostalgic at all, she gave no sign. Aang would take her home after the ceremony.

Aang was guiding the bison, and Katara and Suki seemed to find endless wedding things to talk about, which left Sokka free to doze or contemplate, and he spent an equal amount of time doing both as they flew. He also ate, of course, but that didn't count, and anyway, he often ate while he contemplated.

In a few days, he would be a married man. It was an odd thought, and even odder was the recollection of how he'd gotten here. Half a year ago, he'd believed that the only person he could see himself married to was Princess Yue. He'd really loved her, and nothing would change that. However, he'd reached a place in his life where he was content to leave that chapter in the past. He could remember and learn from his experiences without dwelling on them.

Sokka snuck a sideways glance at Suki, studying her profile briefly. He'd met the female warrior first, and their start had been extremely rocky. To this day, he didn't understand why she'd forgiven him so quickly. Maybe it was the dress – that is, Kyoshi Warrior uniform.

He'd never really forgotten her, and he couldn't deny that he was disappointed to find her absent when their travels brought him and Katara to Kyoshi Island again. Suki had surprised Sokka outside Ba Sing Se a couple of months later, and they shared a few days crossing Serpent's Pass, when his inability to let Yue go had nearly lost Suki for good. Fortunately, he'd realized his mistake before it was too late.

Then she'd been captured by Princess Azula and used as a weapon against him, after which he had despaired of ever finding her again. Finally, he'd found and helped to rescue her, and they'd been together ever since.

It was far from an ordinary love story, Sokka supposed, but it seemed to suit both of them. He fixed his attention fully on the two girls and saw Suki turn to look at the same time. Their gazes caught and held, and they smiled at each other.

Almost as soon as they landed, it seemed the entire island was thrown into a frenzy of activity that didn't end for the two days that elapsed before the wedding. After Foaming Mouth Guy went through his usual initial hysterics, he was surprisingly helpful. Sokka managed to get away from most of the chaos by volunteering to catch fish for the wedding dinner. Fishing took time, it was quiet, and it was best done in solitude.

Katara, on the other hand, threw herself into the preparations with gusto, perhaps as a sort of practice for her own upcoming nuptials. She helped with the decorating and spent hours cooking on the actual day, making it just as well that Suki had chosen two Kyoshi Warriors to stand up with her. She'd tossed around the idea of asking Katara, but the waterbender understood that Suki had known her fellow warriors all her life. Besides, Katara was much happier managing the details of the celebration and not having to get dressed up. Sokka bemusedly wondered how their tribe would get Katara to do nothing but be the bride when her turn came.

Of course, Sokka had to stand through a few fittings of his own as the local tailor scrambled to fit him into something suitable. Aang and Bato were going to support him during the ceremony, but they'd decided to just wear the best they had.

"I've been poked and prodded enough this week," Aang had announced, referring to their earlier visit to Ba Sing Se, and Bato felt he was impressive enough in his formal Water Tribe gear. To tell the truth, he was.

Sokka also had to learn what was expected of him at the ceremony. The traditions were a little different than those of the Southern Water Tribe, and even if they'd been identical, there hadn't been a wedding at the South Pole in at least five years, and at 11 years old, he hadn't been paying much attention.

Sokka was surprised on the afternoon before the wedding when Suki came up and sat beside him as he waited with his line in the water. She took a deep breath of salt air.

"I almost forgot how it felt to be here," she said. "Just to sit on the beach and let the breeze rush over me."

"You are going to be okay moving to the South Pole with me, aren't you?" Sokka asked with concern. They'd been over this before, but now that she'd been home again, he wanted to make sure.

"Of course!" she said emphatically. "We already decided."

"It's not that I wouldn't like to stay here," he added quickly. "It's just that I have to train to be the next chief of our tribe someday. I hope I don't take over for a long time, but I've lost three years with my father already, and I just want—" Suki stopped him by placing a finger over his lips.

"I understand," she said. "We'll go up into the hills for our honeymoon, spend about six months living quietly here on the island while I wrap up my life here, and then we go to your home. Just like we planned."

"Okay," he agreed. "If you're sure. I mean, the South Pole is really cold, and maybe you should actually visit there before you make such a big decision."

"Sokka, I want to marry you." Suki enunciated every word very carefully. "As long as you're with me, I don't care where I am. And I know you have duties to your tribe. Starting tomorrow, your tribe is mine, remember?"

He did remember, but somehow, it just wasn't sinking in. Maybe after the ceremony, he would finally believe that Suki was his partner forever. He nodded slowly.

"I just want to make you happy," he asserted.

"I know," she murmured, leaning in to kiss him. She couldn't stay long, but Sokka didn't manage to catch any more fish that day.

The morning of the wedding dawned clear and warm, with fresh dew making the grass sparkle. It also happened to be Sokka's sixteenth birthday, and he couldn't think of a better way to celebrate it. All of the guests were gathering in the town square for the event while Sokka, his father, Aang, and Bato waited in a house until it was time to begin. Sokka pulled at the collar of his blue tunic. At least the colors normally worn on Kyoshi Island were similar to what he was used to wearing.

"Nervous?" his father asked.

"A little," Sokka admitted. "Am I really ready for this?"

"I'm not sure any man really is," Dad replied with a half smile. "Your wife will help you grow into it." Sokka nodded, but it wasn't just being a husband that he was considering. With marriage usually came children, and he wasn't sure he could see himself as a father just yet. He hadn't exactly acquitted himself very well the last time he'd been in the presence of a woman giving birth.

Then again, Suki had been there, too, and she didn't show any doubts in him. Sokka took a deep breath and set his shoulders back.

Aang and Bato went out first, a mismatched set if Sokka ever saw one. The tall Water Tribe warrior towered over the diminutive Avatar, but somehow, it seemed to work. After a few words of greeting from Oyajii, the elder who was performing the ceremony, it was Sokka and Hakoda's turn.

"I am pleased and honored to present my son, Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe," the Water Tribe chief announced in formal tones when they had arrived in front of Oyajii. Father and son bowed, and the elder bowed in return. Hakoda then withdrew to stand off to the side.

"Welcome, Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe," Oyajii greeted the groom. "From this day forward, you will be as much a citizen of Kyoshi Island as anyone born here. Allow us to introduce the flower of our island, Suki, the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors." Suki was going to resign her position, of course – the roles of warrior and mother weren't very compatible – but she retained the title until a new leader could be selected. That was one of the reasons they were staying here for a few months.

The two other Kyoshi Warriors came forward, wearing their uniforms and makeup. They exchanged brief bows with Aang and Bato and took their places. Suki followed them, flanked by her parents. She was also in uniform, but instead of her headdress, she wore a small cap with a green and gold veil that covered her face. The bride and groom bowed to one another and knelt on two cushions before Oyajii.

Sokka missed a lot of what was said after that. He must have made the right responses at the right times because there were no awkward pauses and Suki didn't nudge him even once, but later he would not be able to remember. His mind was too filled with the idea that the woman beside him was about to become his wife.

Finally, Oyajii issued a command and was brought a large, embroidered pillow. He set it on the ground in front of him, anointing it with seawater and sprinkling summer flowers over it. At his signal, Sokka and Suki rose, drew closer to one another, and lowered themselves to kneel on the new pillow. The other cushions were unobtrusively removed.

"Thus, the two become one!" Oyajii announced. "Raise the veil, and see the face of your bride."

His breath catching, Sokka fumbled with the veil, eventually managing to push it back over Suki's head. She wasn't wearing makeup, and she looked stunning and very happy. He grinned at her.

"Join hands," Oyajii instructed, and the young couple did so without taking their eyes off each other. Oyajii took hold of their clasped hands and raised them to their feet. "By the authority bestowed upon me by the residents of this island, I declare before all of these witnesses that you are now husband and wife. To seal your commitment, you may now kiss one another."

Conscious of the audience, Sokka leaned in and gave only a modest kiss, although he felt the promise from both of them that there would be more later. Turning around to face their friends and family, he and Suki prepared to begin their life as a married couple.

--

Author's Note: In case you didn't remember, Oyajii was the name of the guy who seemed to be in a position of authority during the Kyoshi Island visits. I had to look it up, too. I decided to respond to the few people who "reviewed" my placeholder note, since hardly anyone reviewed the actual chapter. Also, you can only review each chapter once, so those who responded to the note didn't have a chance to review the chapter.

Review responses:

Atem's Sister Atea: Thanks for understanding! It's funny; when I was single and living on my own, Christmastime wasn't all that busy for me. Now that I have kids, though, it's crazy!

Amira Elizabeth: Thanks for checking in. Are we going to be seeing anything new from you in the near future?

Katsumara: Legally, in modern terms, you're probably right about the pedophile label. However, since 16 is generally the age of adulthood in the Avatar world (apparently 14 at the South Pole, based on the ice dodging age), I think 16 would be old enough to qualify in this context. As for Ba Sing Se, I was trying to come up with a balance of powers vaguely similar to what the US Constitution laid out.

Private LL Church: I'm not sure if anyone's given as much thought to the amount of work it would take to rebuild governments in the series, and I'm not sure that necessarily reflects well on me.:) However, I've been able to look at present situations like Iraq and Afghanistan and work those concepts in.

arizony: Well, thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying it, but there are times I'm not sure if this story lives up to some of my others. I'm cramming a lot into it, and I feel like I'm dragging out this ending, but it seems to be what the readers want.

things24: I do try to be punctual, and I know I'm a more regular updater than many other writers I've seen, but I tend to be very hard on myself with deadlines and such.

Light-Eco-Sage: Well, your timing is good then; here's another chapter already. I'm sorry I cost you sleep but happy that you liked my writing so much that you didn't want to stop.


	42. Chapter 42: Sozin's Comet

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: The comet still comes, but with much less drama and a lot more fluff.

**Sozin's Comet**

For Toph, it was a very lonely ride back to her hometown after the wedding feast was over and Sokka and Suki had departed to do what newly married couples often do when they're alone.

First of all, she had no way of measuring their progress, so the time just ticked by in unbroken monotony. She could sort of tell the hours by the angle of the sun's warmth, and there were periodic breaks for food and bodily functions (during which she often wanted to swear she would never fly again), but that was all.

Secondly, only Aang and his two animal companions were on this journey, and since Aang had to direct Appa, Toph could hear only the wind in her ears and feel only the bison beneath her. Once in a while, Momo would curl up in her lap for a nap, and that was comforting.

At last, Aang announced that they were right above the Bei Fong manor and set them down in the garden. Not unexpectedly, guards were waiting. It was really pretty ridiculous, when you thought about it. Did they really think their spears and mediocre earthbending abilities were going to have any effect upon the Avatar who had just defeated the Firelord and saved the world?

"I come in peace?" Aang tried hopefully, and Toph couldn't help but snort. She experienced a flash of memory of their first meeting, when he'd said he didn't want to fight her.

"Just let me get down from this thing," Toph complained, levering herself cautiously over the saddle edge. At least, now that Appa was touching the ground, she could feel vibrations through his body if she concentrated hard enough. She clambered down a leg, feeling hands grasp her as she reached the ground. As soon as she was steady on her feet, however, they let her go.

"You're both coming to see the master and mistress," said one of the guards unnecessarily.

"Well, that _was_ sort of the idea of coming here," Toph snapped irritably. "I hope you don't mind if I stop off for a pee first. We've been flying for hours." There was a brief silence, except for a strange noise from Aang that might have been a muffled giggle.

"Of – of course, miss," stammered the other guard, sounding confused. Toph smirked. That was exactly the way she wanted them. The house guards and her parents might be expecting to have control of this situation, but she intended to be in charge every moment.

"You know, I don't really have to be here for this," Aang attempted to excuse himself from the proceedings. "Maybe I should—"

"Don't even think about it, Twinkle-toes." He wasn't getting out of this that easily. Although Toph would never say that she needed someone else, especially him, there was no way she was walking into her parents' reception hall alone. If nothing else, she needed a witness who could tell everyone else what happened.

Finally, at the time of her choosing, Toph and Aang were ushered into her parents' presence. Aang attempted what felt like a very awkward bow, but Toph just stood there, chin up, waiting. Mom spoke first.

"Toph!" she exclaimed in a combination of relief and astonishment that sounded dreadfully overdone. She'd probably been practicing ever since the bison was spotted. "We are so relieved to see you back, safe and sound."

"We didn't know what to think when Master Yu and Xin Fu returned empty-handed," Dad added. "They returned all of our money except what they'd spent on expenses and said it wasn't worth it. What happened to them?"

"Simple," Toph shrugged, affecting nonchalance even as she relished telling this story. "I sealed them into the metal box they used to trap me. They really aren't very bright, you know." She paused, then continued thoughtfully. "Maybe I should thank them, though. If it hadn't been for them, I might never have figured out how to metalbend."

"Metalbend?" repeated Dad, nonplussed. "No one can metalbend."

"Toph can," asserted Aang.

"I thought I made it clear that you were no longer welcome here," Dad retorted, addressing Aang for the first time.

"The guards kind of insisted I come," the Avatar replied. "Anyway, I wanted to bring Toph back. That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"So you just casually stroll back here—"

"Actually, we flew in on my bison," Aang interrupted.

"—after abducting our daughter in the first place?" Dad finished, and he did not sound amused by Aang's correction. Toph was beginning to get seriously annoyed.

"Didn't you get my letter?" she demanded.

"Well, yes," Mom admitted after a moment. "But we didn't know if it was genuine. After all, dear, you can't write. And where would you get a hawk?" Toph gritted her teeth and huffed in frustration.

"I ran away," she said bluntly. "Why should be obvious, but I'll tell you anyway. I told you that you didn't really know me, that I'm the greatest earthbender in the world, and that I love fighting, and what was your solution? To turn my home into a prison. You don't listen to me. You never listen to me!"

Toph stomped her foot, sending a shiver through the floor, although she was careful not to do any damage. Despite her pique, there was no reason to make a wreck of the place. A shocked silence followed her demonstration. Toph waited for somebody to respond, but no one did. She sighed dramatically.

"This is a waste of time," she complained, waving her arms. "Here's the deal. I'll come back and live with you if you'll let me be myself. I can compete in earthbending competitions, and you won't expect me to wear white dresses and act like a lady all the time."

There was another pause, during which Toph's mother softly cleared her throat.

"If you'll be a lady when we have company, I'm willing to make a few concessions," she murmured. Toph couldn't see it, but she suspected that her parents were exchanging significant glances.

"We're going to have company?" asked the small earthbender incredulously. "No one in town even knew you had a daughter until Aang showed up." It was one of many little irritations that had built up over the years. Then again, her anonymity was what had allowed her to compete as The Blind Bandit for as long as she had.

"What if we refuse your terms?" Dad wondered, but there was something in his tone that indicated he had already given in. Toph relaxed, but only a little bit.

"I turn around right now, and Aang takes me to Ba Sing Se. I already have a job offer and a place to stay." She had no doubt that her mother would be mortified by this suggestion. Imagine a Bei Fong working for a living!

"There will be no need for that," said Mom firmly. "We want you here, under any conditions. Right, dear?"

"Of course," mumbled Dad. Somewhat surprisingly, Mom rose from her seat and gave Toph a hug.

"I've missed you," she whispered. "I'm so sorry." Toph allowed that to continue for a few seconds, but she had one more demonstration to make.

"This isn't just for right now," she warned. "If I ever feel like I'm being treated like a prisoner again, I'll disappear into the mountain." To emphasize how serious she was on the matter, she stepped back and opened a crack in the floor, just big enough for her to squeeze through. "This time, I'll leave for good. No more second chances." She sealed the floor again, leaving no sign that it had ever been disrupted.

"Well, if you don't need me for anything else…" said Aang, backing a few steps toward the door. His speaking reminded Toph of something.

"Oh, there's one more thing," she informed her parents. "I need to go to the South Pole in a few months. I've been invited to the Avatar's wedding."

"Aren't you a little young to be getting married?" Dad asked Aang. However, the airbender ignored the question and responded to Toph instead.

"You'd be willing to do that?" Twinkle-toes sounded surprised. "I mean, it's all ice. We didn't really expect that you'd make it. We'd be thrilled to have you there, though."

"I know I'll be really blind there," she told him calmly. "But I wouldn't miss it." Impulsively, she hugged the strange boy who had rescued her from a life of solitude. He took his leave soon after, politely turning down the half-hearted invitation to stay for dinner, and Toph settled in to tell her adventures to the household.

***

Two weeks later, Aang was making his way toward the South Pole with all possible speed. He'd had to weigh his options very carefully, but he'd decided that this was where he needed to be right now.

As he approached the location that had been his frozen resting place for a century, he could see immediately how much it had changed since his awakening. Where there had once been only a huddled colony of tents, hidden behind a hand-sculpted wall of snow and ice, beautiful ice buildings now jutted up into the open sky, reflecting the fading sunlight. It was not nearly as impressive as the North Pole, of course, but it was still a definite improvement. He circled around to get the full effect.

There was also a harbor full of ships now, and a large tidal wave rose up and rushed outward from the ice pack as Aang drew close. It didn't take him very long to recognize Master Pakku riding on top of it, and he waved gaily. The bison landed near the dock, and Aang leapt off. Pakku stepped off his water conveyance to meet him.

"You missed the wedding," he remarked mildly, and Aang bowed his apology.

"I'm sorry," he said earnestly. "I just couldn't get away. Congratulations, though."

"I understand," replied the waterbender, and as Aang straightened, he saw a twinkle in the old man's eyes. "We'll talk more later, but for now, I won't keep you from what I suspect is the real object of your visit."

He hadn't even finished speaking when a streak of blue and white, with a hint of black at the top, barreled toward Aang and threw itself into his arms. He had just registered the solid form as Katara when their mouths met and their tongues found each other. This surprised Aang at first, but after a moment, it felt very natural. Even though they had only been separated for a couple of weeks, they needed to smell, to touch, to taste one another.

After that first, passionate welcome, however, Katara suddenly pushed Aang back. Her eyes were glowing and her cheeks flushed.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. Pakku had disappeared, providing them with privacy for their meeting.

"I – I wanted – the comet's coming," he stammered by way of explanation.

"I know that," Katara glared acidly at him, although her expression also held the fascinating addition of fond exasperation. "Shouldn't you be making sure the Fire Nation doesn't do anything drastic with it?"

"You really want me surrounded by hundreds of supercharged firebenders if they decide to act up?" he challenged in return. There wasn't really any good response to that, and they both knew it, but Katara opened her mouth slightly anyway, just leaving her lower jaw hanging when she couldn't come up with any words. Unable to resist, Aang swooped in and kissed her again.

"There's no organized plan this time, Katara," he pointed out when he'd released her. "Even if a small group of firebenders decides to cause trouble, Iroh and Zuko will be stronger, too. And thanks to Toph, Zuko is surrounded by a group of people he trusts. Everything's under control." Aang hesitated at this point. He raised his right hand and buried it in the hair behind Katara's left ear. She was still wearing her hair mostly down, and the hood of her parka had fallen back in her rush to greet him. He continued seriously. "I've given this a lot of thought, Katara, and I really want to share this sight with you."

He looked pleadingly at her, willing her to understand what he was not saying. The last time Sozin's Comet had passed by, his people had been wiped out. The visions he'd had of its return since he'd awakened to find a world at war had also been of death and destruction. He desperately needed some new memories to associate with this particular astral body, some happier ones. Katara met his gaze searchingly, and finally, she nodded, showing her brilliant smile to him.

"Honestly," she confessed, "I was hoping you'd come." Taking him by the hand, she took delight in reintroducing him to her tribe as her husband-to-be and giving him a tour of the new structures. Aang took the opportunity of meeting Gran-Gran again to extend his congratulations to her on her second marriage.

Sozin's Comet arrived the next day. Aang had known it was approaching, had felt it like a tingle through his body. Oddly enough, it felt familiar, and once Iroh explained that he was sensing the comet, Aang knew when he'd felt like this once before. A similar prickling had invaded him when he'd run away from the Southern Air Temple. He hadn't known what it meant at the time, but he'd already had the potential for firebending, and it might have been the comet's power coursing through him that had helped goad him into leaving. In a way, he could understand why Sozin and Ozai had wanted to do great things with it. The sensation brought with it a vague sense of anticipation, of needing to be moving. It even seemed to be warming him from the inside.

Katara and Aang went up to a high ice formation to observe the comet, laying out furs to prevent the chill from seeping into them while they watched the sky.

"I'm sorry about the fur," she apologized as she prepared their spot. "It's kind of what we have here."

"I understand." There was nothing he could do for the animals from whom the skins had been taken, and he'd already reconciled himself to the idea of spending his wedding night with Katara on a bed of fur (in fact, he found fantasizing about that very thing to be extremely pleasant).

The pair settled themselves on their backs, Katara resting her head on the hollow between Aang's shoulder and his neck while he held that arm loosely around her. They watched as a bright light appeared in the sky, growing steadily larger until it practically filled their vision. It was actually quite beautiful, when you weren't worried that it was going to cause the end of the world as you knew it.

It was all over relatively quickly, the burning comet retreating back into the sky until it was just a distant flame. Aang sat up and listened, and Katara joined him. Nothing. Just the cold wind off of the ocean blowing over him and the woman he loved beside him. In short, it was perfect. He breathed a deep sigh, grateful that he had prevented the disaster that comet might have fueled. He thought about all of the things that might have been, as well as what actually was.

Katara put her hands on either side of his face and turned it towards her. She kissed him, gently at first, then more insistently. Of their own accord, Aang's fingers undid the fastenings on Katara's parka. He slipped his arms inside to encircle her ribcage, reveling in her warmth as she wrapped her arms around him. He folded his legs and slid his knees to the side of hers, enjoying the way they fit together perfectly when he pressed close to her.

It was as though Sozin's Comet had ignited them both with a different kind of fire, urging them to celebrate the twin facts that they were alive and together. Aang abandoned Katara's mouth and began placing kisses down her jaw and neck. She pulled off one of her bulky mittens with her teeth and put her bare hand between his shirt and cape. Her breath was coming faster, and she shifted to give Aang better access to her neck and ear. Eventually, though, she went after his head and neck in turn. His naked scalp gave her more options to choose from, and she used her mouth to explore everything she could reach before he claimed her lips again.

They continued on in this fashion until some unspoken but mutually understood signal caused them to draw apart. Aang methodically fastened her parka back up, pausing only once to dip his tongue into the hollow of her throat. Their eyes met when he was finished, holding the promise that there would be more of this in their future.

Neither of them wanted to break the spell of the moment, however, and they maintained their silence all the way back to the village, a silence more full of meaning than any thousand words could have been.

--

Author's Note: I'm sure a lot of you were ready for some fluffy Kataang, right? I know I was.

Review responses:

Amber Pegasus: Thank you, I'm happy you think so.

Atem's Sister Atea: I'm happy you enjoyed the wedding. I decided not to get bogged down in detail there, although there might be a wedding or two in the future that will be spelled out in greater specificity.

Katsumara: Considering that Sokka and Katara were left in charge of their tribe at the ages of 13 and 12, yes, I'd say that had to grow up fast. Thank you for your comments on the Azula/Ursa scene. Since I didn't have Azula descend into a raving lunatic, I've had to come up with an "after" for her, and that was a conversation I wanted to play out.

AleryaLeveilli: Thank you. I'm glad that you're enjoying my revisions to the third season. I actually would have enjoyed Ember Island Players if it weren't for the Kataang scene. It was horribly written and didn't really fit in with the overall story.

Private LL Church: Thanks. I'm planning to give more detail on the Kataang wedding.

arizony: Good; that's nice to know. I suppose you have a point that I was able to invent a great deal more in Destiny's Call without deviating too much from what was already known. This one was more a matter of tweaking what didn't quite fit in my mind, although now I'm writing the epilogue.

Light-Eco-Sage: Well, vacation does make it easier. Thanks for the accolades!


	43. Chapter 43: Letters and Gifts

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Sorry, another sort of filler chapter to build on some of the relationships.

**Letters and Gifts**

When Aang returned from the South Pole, he bore a packet of letters. Hakoda and some of his warriors had made friends in other parts of the world, and since Aang was the only person to have a flying bison, it made sense to use him as a courier when he was traveling. Ships were slow, and hawks had limits to their endurance.

The correspondence that surprised Zuko the most was Hakoda's letter to Ursa. Aang mentioned it when reporting on the other errands he'd completed and comparing notes on their experiences of Sozin's Comet.

"Mom?" Zuko exclaimed, nonplussed. "Why is he writing to my mom?" Aang broke into a grin.

"I don't know exactly, of course, but when he handed the letters to me, I saw something I never thought I would – the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe blushed!" Aang seemed to be enjoying the situation, but Firelord Zuko was dumbfounded. Was it possible that his mother was being courted? It was just too strange. And if that was the case, would she move to the South Pole? He'd only just got her back, and he didn't want to let her go again so soon.

"But my father just died!" he blurted out, causing the Avatar to give him one of those wiser-than-his-years looks that always made Zuko feel like he was the kid and the airbender was the man.

"They were separated for years," Aang pointed out. "I'm sure she'll observe the traditional six months of mourning, despite their…strained relationship."

"That's one way of putting it," muttered Zuko.

"In the meantime, what's the harm in a few letters?" Aang added.

"I suppose you're right," Zuko admitted slowly. He knew that Hakoda had been a widower since Katara and Sokka were small. When he thought about it, he realized that his mother and Hakoda had really both been alone for a long time. If they could be happy together after all that they'd been through independently, how could he begrudge them that? He certainly couldn't claim that Firelord Ozai had been any prize as either a husband or a father, worthy of an extraordinary display of grief. He hadn't been much of a son or brother, either, come to think of it. Anyway, as Aang said, for the moment, it was only letters. There was no need to get ahead of himself on this.

"Will you be able to come to the wedding?" Aang changed the subject.

"I want to," replied Zuko. "If all goes well, I can have things set up here well enough that I can be away for a week or so. I assume I'll need to take a ship."

"Unless one of the dragons is willing to carry you. No offense, but I don't want to postpone my honeymoon because I have to bring you home."

"I understand," Zuko gave a dry chuckle. "And I don't blame you."

"Well, if you can make it, I was wondering…I'd like you to stand with me for the ceremony." Aang looked at the Firelord anxiously, waiting for the answer.

"Really? Me?" was the first thing Zuko managed to say. He was completely surprised by the question.

"Sokka will be there too, of course, but you and I have been through a lot in the last couple of months."

"What do I need to do?" Zuko had not had the opportunity to attend many weddings.

"Oh, you know, to support me," said Aang lightly. "Make sure I don't faint or try to run away or anything." His expression while saying this indicated how unlikely he thought these possibilities, and Zuko could not imagine the exuberant boy being anything less than ecstatic about marrying the love of his life.

"I think I can handle that," the Firelord remarked with a half smile.

"Also…" Aang paused here, becoming more serious and appearing to consider his words carefully. "To be honest, I think it would be really symbolic to have representatives from all of the nations in the ceremony."

"You're a born diplomat, Aang," Zuko said, amused when Aang made a face at him.

"I haven't had much choice," the Avatar retorted.

"Who's performing the ceremony?"

"Since it's a Water Tribe wedding, we decided to have Master Pakku do it," responded Aang. "The Southern traditions are a little different than the Northern, but they're close enough. It would normally have been Hakoda, but he has enough to do trying to be both the father and mother of the bride."

"I'd be honored, Aang," Zuko assured him. "I'll make sure I can come. Who'll be there from the Earth Kingdom?"

"Suki's already agreed to stand with Katara. Toph's still thinking about it, but she's said that she absolutely refuses to wear some frilly dress for it."

That sounded like Toph, all right, and the two boys exchanged a smile of remembrance. Zuko felt his heart rate increase noticeably at the mention of Toph attending the wedding, however. It had only been a few weeks, but he missed her already. Since Toph was incapable of either reading or writing, all contact between them had to be completely suspended while they were apart. It was proving more difficult than he'd anticipated.

"Toph's definitely going to be there, though?" he asked, striving to keep his voice casual. He thought Aang gave him a sharp glance, but when he spoke, the Avatar didn't seem to have noticed anything.

"Yeah, I was surprised, too," he said. "She'll have to wear boots all the time, and she'll really be blind. She hates ice, but she said she wouldn't miss it. That means a lot to both of us."

There was a pause after this. Zuko had the feeling he should be saying something, but he honestly couldn't think of anything.

"You know, she's going to need a guide the whole time she's there," the Avatar mused thoughtfully after a moment, and he grinned slyly at the Firelord. "Maybe you'd like to help her out." Zuko felt the color rush to his face as he realized that Aang hadn't missed a thing.

"You think I'm crazy, don't you?" he asked.

"Of course not," Aang said firmly. "Why would I? You do have a lot in common. Similar backgrounds, both trying to figure out who you are while your parents try to force you into a mold you don't fit. It makes sense that the two of you would get along. I'm just surprised I didn't notice it sooner." Zuko managed a wry grin.

"I think you've been a little distracted since I joined you," he commented.

"True."

"You don't think it's – I don't know, weird?" Zuko really did need some assurances on this point. "I mean, she's twelve, and I'm almost seventeen."

"Who am I to judge?" his friend replied meaningfully, obviously referring that he was preparing for his nuptials at the tender age of thirteen. "Anyway, you're both closer to ten emotionally, so I think it will work itself out in a few years. Will it really matter all that much when she's 20 and you're 25?"

"No, I guess not," Zuko admitted, deciding to ignore the comment on his emotional maturity. Aang was probably right, after all. An absent mother, a distant and forbidding father, a cold and overly competitive sister – aside from his uncle, what did he know about love of any kind? Hadn't he been watching his new friends over the past few months to see how people who cared about each other interacted? "I sort of promised to find her when she turned fifteen."

"Perfect! I hope it all works out for you."

"Yeah." The turn of the conversation had reminded the young Firelord of something else. "Do you have any major plans next week? I mean, were you going anywhere?"

"Nothing specific," the airbender shrugged. "I was thinking of getting back to some of the southern towns to check on things, but that's about it. Why?"

"My birthday's next week. I don't want to make a big deal about it, but I was planning to have a small family dinner with Mom and Uncle, and I'd like you to join us."

"I'd be happy to," replied Aang brightly. "Am I part of your family now, too?"

"You're the reincarnation of my great-grandfather, remember?" Zuko tossed back. He considered that it might be somewhat odd for the Avatar, who'd had no family of his own through childhood, to now be adopted by both the Southern Water Tribe and the Fire Nation royal family. Of course, there were likely many other people (and places) in the world who would like to claim him now. Being the savior of the world seemed to have that effect. "In a way, we were always family."

"Oh yeah. I keep forgetting. You know, it was awfully rude for you to chase your kin all over the world like that."

"It seems to be a family failing," said Zuko dryly, thinking of the way his sister had pursued him after the failed siege of the North Pole.

"You may have a point," the airbender acknowledged, laughing, but Zuko found his mood sinking. The talk about family reminded him that he had a sister languishing in prison. He knew that his mother had visited Azula once, but he hadn't yet. He didn't know what to say to someone who'd lost her bending, and they hadn't been on the best terms when they last met.

He also wasn't sure what to do with her. The loss of the power she had so long used to identify herself seemed like punishment enough, but he knew that it might be dangerous to allow her too close to him. She still had her charisma, which was now probably combined with a seething rage against him and his new friends.

Zuko decided to set that problem aside for the moment. Azula needed some time to cool off and reconcile herself to the fact that she had lost the war. After that, he would visit her once or twice and try to talk to her. Maybe then he could get an idea of whether she could safely be released. Right now, he had a nation to run.

***

At Aang's next visit, Katara was able to keep better control of herself. It had actually been a longer absence this time, but she'd been busier, which had helped the time to pass more quickly. She wrote a lot of letters, some of which were sent by ship and some which would wait for Aang's return. She also spent a great deal of time waterbending.

Katara wanted to stay in practice, of course, but there were more immediate and concrete reasons for her activities as well. Despite the improvements at the South Pole and the addition of some new waterbenders from the North Pole, she quickly realized that there was not enough room to accommodate all of the guests for her wedding. New buildings needed to be constructed, separated into rooms, and furnished. The furnishings were kept simple, but it was still necessary to undertake some hunts for tiger-seals and whales to provide the raw materials.

Katara decided that she wanted a new structure for the ceremony, due to the number of people expected to attend. Besides, many of the guests would not be of the Water Tribe and would therefore not be accustomed to the cold weather. Thought had to be given to their comfort, such as regularly placed fireplaces, using ice dense enough that fire would not easily melt it. The building could continue to be used by the village as a general meeting place, which she felt justified the efforts to build it.

Then there was the problem of keeping the fires fed. Since wood was scarce here at the bottom of the world, the usual fuel was dried dung or seaweed. This did not appear to be adequate for the event, however, so she sent for firewood from the islands that were scattered through the ocean.

In addition, Katara made a small dwelling in which she and Aang could spend their first night as a married couple. A Water Tribe wedding was typically an all-day event, and they'd agreed that they wouldn't set off for their honeymoon until the following morning. She put more time and energy into this than the humble size would seem to require, but she wanted it to be perfect for her new husband.

When Aang greeted her this time, he was bearing two packages. He held out the larger one first.

"Your wedding dress," he explained. "The dressmaker would have liked to fit it to you exactly, but she said it's as done as it can be without you there."

Katara took the parcel eagerly, her heart pounding in anticipation. She couldn't wait to try it on, but she would have to put that off until Aang left. There was still plenty of time to make any alterations that might still be necessary.

"You didn't peek, did you?" she demanded suspiciously.

"Of course not," he replied, almost offended by the accusation, although he quickly smiled to soften the impression. "I like a surprise as much as anyone else. More even."

"Are your clothes finished?"

"Not yet," he replied, making a face. "Since I was there, the tailor insisted on having me try them on. He pinned them a few places so he could make adjustments later. It doesn't help that I keep growing." Katara smiled indulgently. He was already her equal in size and well on his way to an imposing adult height. She hoped she would get used to looking up at him.

"That's likely to continue for a few years," she reminded him. "Didn't you want to get taller?"

"Yeah, I guess. At least, I've wanted to be taller than you for a while now." He said this with an adorable blush that caused Katara to lean forward and give him a kiss on the cheek.

"What's the other package?" she asked.

"Your engagement present. I finally had time to finish it."

At this, the waterbender was nearly bursting with curiosity, but she said, "Just let me put this away, first." When she emerged from the house she temporarily shared with her father and grandmother, Aang was waiting there with his gift. Katara carefully unwrapped the cloth to reveal two beautiful, white combs, carved to show a cresting wave on the spine of each.

"They're beautiful!" she exclaimed. "You made them?" She turned them over in her hands, amazed by the work. She could almost feel the love that went into them.

"I did. Hakoda said ivory was customary, but I found an alternative."

"What are they made out of?"

"Marble," he replied proudly. "If there's anything you want changed, I can still use earthbending on them."

"No, they're perfect," she asserted, handing him the combs and removing her mittens to work out the small braids that she had put onto the sides of her head and joined at the back to merge with the tresses that still hung down. She wanted to try the combs out right away. "Maybe Sokka was right; you do have a future making jewelry."

"Well, I guess I will need a trade to support you." This had become sort of a running joke between them. Every leader in the world would be happy to provide for them, probably indefinitely, but they still wanted to find their independence eventually.

"What do you think?" she asked when it felt like the marble ornaments were roughly symmetrical in their arrangement. She turned her head this way and that so that he might get the full effect.

"Absolutely beautiful," he whispered, and seeing the appreciation in his eyes, Katara doubted that she would ever need a mirror again. Aang closed the distance between them and took her into his arms at last.

--

Author's Note: The wedding will finally be in the next chapter!

Review responses:

Amber Pegasus: Thank you very much.

Katsumara: There is some hope that the release of the live-action films will lead to a resurgence in fanfiction. However, I admit that my own thoughts are beginning to turn to other fandoms. Thank you for expressing your enjoyment of this story!

Private LL Church: I agree. Katara helped Toph write a letter to her parents and send it with Sokka's new hawk, but after that, her family seemed to be forgotten. Another loose end that wasn't tied up.

arizony: Thank you; putting my readers in the scene is what I strive for. When I read reviews like yours, I consider the possibility of trying to actually sell some original work.

Big A. Lovin avatar: Thank you.

Marisol Maza: I admit that I've never been one to deal in absolutes. I'm afraid you will still have to wait for the next chapter to see the wedding.

Light-Eco-Sage: I'm planning the Kataang wedding for next chapter. I almost squeezed it in here, but I wanted to give it adequate space.

Avatarfanx2: For over two seasons, the day of Sozin's Comet was absolutely, positively, the day that Aang could NOT face Ozai. Roku also said that if he wasn't defeated by then, even the Avatar couldn't stop him. Yet suddenly, in the finale, the comet becomes the ONLY day, and Aang does succeed. It just didn't fit. And yes, I played with the word Firelord to create a twist in the plot.


	44. Chapter 44: The Wedding

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Finally, the big wedding chapter! This one has more western elements in it, although I tried to pull in some Native American aspects because I know that the show drew on those tribes for some aspects of the Water Tribe. The elemental words are my adaptation of a traditional Cherokee wedding blessing. I had some technical difficulties while finishing this chapter, so I didn't complete my final edit. I apologize for any errors or omissions, but I really wanted to get this posted. I'll go back and fix it later.

**The Wedding**

Aang made one more visit to the South Pole prior to the wedding, for Katara's birthday. He brought a gold chain onto which her mother's – and grandmother's – pendant could be transferred. This was a timely gift, since the ribbon she'd had all her life was old and rotting. Instead of a clasp, however, the Avatar simply placed it around her neck and then wrapped his hand around it at the back. With a small amount of firebending, he was able to fuse the two ends together. Of course, it wouldn't easily come off, but she should never again have reason to remove it.

After this act had been completed, the two shared a secret look, and Hakoda got the feeling, not for the first time, that there was still a lot about their their journey that he didn't know. Perhaps he never would.

When the day of the wedding arrived, it was a bright, sunny, winter solstice that greeted everyone involved. The guests had begun arriving days before due to the remoteness of the location, and the population of the South Pole swelled. The guests gathered in the new meeting hall while Hakoda waited with Katara, Suki and Toph for their time to enter.

Katara was wearing an incredible dress of her own design, made of silver, blue and white material draped tastefully over her body in a manner that allowed her to be warm while also accenting the feminine curves of her figure. Completing the picture was the gold chain with the ivory pendant at her throat and the marble combs holding her hair out of her face. She surveyed her image in the reflective ice of the wall.

"Nervous?" her father asked in a low voice.

"A little," she admitted. "This is a big step."

"It is," he agreed.

"Sometimes…" Katara hesitated before continuing, checking to see that the other two girls were occupied in their own conversation. "Sometimes, I wonder if I'll really be able to make him happy. He could have anyone in the world."

"And he chose you." Not for the first time, Hakoda wished his wife were here. He didn't know what to say to a woman on her wedding day. "You already make him happy; I can see it. Have I mentioned recently how proud of you I am?"

"A few times," she smiled. "It's nice to hear, anyway." She gave him a hug.

Suki was wearing simple robe of pale blue, covered with a parka, her short hair falling loosely around her face. Toph was nearly smothered by her parka and wearing fur boots that she clearly was not comfortable in. It was impossible to tell that she had a white dress on underneath all of the warm layers. Her hair was done up into an elegant bun and secured with gold ribbon.

At last, one of the women of the tribe came to tell them that all was ready. Suki and Toph went out first, arm in arm so that Suki could guide her blind companion. Hakoda followed with Katara, walking at a stately pace. The ice walls of the short corridor reflected her beauty until they emerged into the large gathering area. All of the guests were sitting on cushions, rugs, furs, or blankets, and they turned to view the bride when she appeared. Pakku stood at the center, all the way to the front of the room. Aang stood to his right, clothed in a new outfit of pale gray that made his eyes seem to stand out sharply against his pale skin. He was gazing adoringly at Katara, and Hakoda marveled once again at how the airbender never seemed to feel the cold. Arranged in a line behind him were Sokka and Firelord Zuko, standing out against the icy backdrop in his heavy, red coat. He was doubtless wearing mourning white underneath, but it was likely that this was the only warm covering he owned. There was little need to bundle up in the hot Fire Nation.

Toph and Suki took their places to Master Pakku's left, and Hakoda and Katara reached the front of the room to stand near the center.

"Members of the Southern Water Tribe and honored guests," Pakku began the ceremony. "We have come here today for one purpose: to join the lives of Avatar Aang and the waterbender Katara in the sacred bonds of marriage. Who presents the bride?"

"I, Hakoda, Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, bring my daughter Katara to be married," said Hakoda, and with those words, he unfolded the blue blanket draped over his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, squeezing her a little as he did so. He then gave her a kiss on the cheek and withdrew.

"Who presents the groom?" Pakku asked next. This part had been a little awkward. There were no remaining Air Nomads to sponsor Aang in the ceremony. Technically speaking, since Aang had completed the ice dodging rite of passage with Sokka and Katara, he had effectively become a member of the Southern Water Tribe. With no parent or guardian to speak for him, that meant that he would traditionally be the chief's responsibility. However, if Hakoda were to present him as well as Katara, it would imply that they were brother and sister, making the entire proceeding inappropriate. Therefore, an alternate solution had been found.

"I, General Iroh, Dragon of the West and walker of the spirit world, bring the Avatar Aang to be married," the old firebender responded, stepping forward and placing another blue blanket around Aang. Both he and Hakoda then took their seats in the front.

"Marriage is a serious commitment, not to be entered into lightly or without intent and forethought," Pakku continued. He seemed to be suppressing a smile as he finished these words, perhaps thinking of the 60 years he'd waited to see his own wedding. It had been a smaller affair than this, but no less meaningful. "Waterbender Katara, do you swear that you have come to be wed of your own free will?"

"I, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, swear that I freely give myself to Avatar Aang, mind, body, and spirit," she said clearly. A similar question was posed to Aang.

"I, Avatar Aang, last of the airbenders, promise," he said, his eyes never leaving his bride, "that there is nothing I want more right now than to marry Katara." He'd changed the traditional words a bit, but they seemed to fit the occasion.

"Then we will proceed with the vows," Pakku stated. "Do you, Avatar Aang, promise to love and care for Katara, to protect her through all trials and be faithful to her for as long as you live?"

"I do," the Avatar responded.

"And do you, Katara, promise to love and support Aang in all endeavors and be his constant companion for as long as you live?"

"I do," she stated.

"Repeat after me," Pakku instructed. Then he said, with the couple echoing him: "We honor wind and ask that it fill our sails so that we might travel safely through life. We honor water to clean and soothe our relationship, that it may never thirst for love. We honor the earth and ask that our marriage be abundant and grow stronger through the seasons. We honor fire and ask that our union be warm and glowing. By all of the elements, we pray for harmony and true happiness as we forever grow young together."

When this was done, Pakku removed the individual blankets from around the couple. He then brought forward a large, white blanket and wrapped it around both of them, symbolizing their joining.

"Spirits of the moon and ocean, balancing one another in your endless dance, watch over this couple and help them to move in rhythm with each other, that their union will be stable and harmonious," Pakku requested with his arms raised. "From this point forward, you will be as one. I declare that Avatar Aang and Waterbender Katara are now husband and wife. You may kiss your bride." There was some cheering as the newly married couple complied. Pakku wasn't quite finished, though.

"Turn around to face your friends and relations," he instructed them. This was a bit of a challenge with the single blanket still wrapped around them, but it was symbolic of the way they would need to account for each other's needs in everything that they did from now on. When they had made the turn, both Aang and Katara were beaming, and Pakku formally presented them to the crowd.

"All of you who witness this event also bear a responsibility," he added. "Support this couple, encouraging their love and assisting them at times when they need it. May their love and the strength of their commitment be an example to all around them!"

With that, the ceremony was over. Pakku removed the white blanket and folded it, presenting it to Aang, who accepted it with a bow. The new husband then escorted his bride out of the building, followed by Sokka and Suki and Zuko and Toph. Katara's family were next, leaving the rest of the attendees to make their way out on their own. Most of the women of the Southern Water Tribe managed to slip out right after the wedding party, however, as they needed to complete the preparations for the feast. By the time everyone had assembled outside, everything was ready.

Water Tribe wedding feasts were rather informal affairs, with food arranged as a buffet that people could sample from as they wished. Hakoda was very grateful yet again to the Northern waterbenders who had come to help the South Pole rebuild from the devastation that the Fire Nation had visited upon them intermittently over the past century. One long table of ice had been set up with food upon it, many items in fur-lined baskets to keep them from freezing. The dishes that needed to be served hot, such as meat, were kept suspended over several cooking fires.

Scattered around were smaller snow and ice tables where people could gather to eat their meal, and the guests helped themselves to the feast and found their way to seats. Even Aang, who didn't eat meat, seemed impressed with the selection available. Unfortunately, people who wanted to offer congratulations or chat were constantly approaching him and Katara, and they were both too polite to eat while talking, so they weren't getting much into their mouths. Hakoda guessed that they must have been hungry, too. Katara had been too nervous to eat much earlier in the day, and he could only assume that Aang had been in a similar state. He made a mental note to press a packet of food on them before they withdrew for the night.

Hakoda noticed that Firelord Zuko was being unusually attentive to Toph. He guided her when she needed to be and brought her food and beverages. Watching them, Hakoda wondered how Ursa, the young man's mother was doing. She had not come with her son, and there was no telling when they might see each other again. He pushed such thoughts aside, however. This was Katara's special day.

When everyone had filled at least one plate, it was time for the music and dancing. Members of the Water Tribe played on various native instruments: drums, sealed containers holding small bones that rattled when shaken, horns made of large shells, and ivory flutes. The other Water Tribe members began dancing first, eventually joined by others. After managing a few more bites, Aang and Katara stepped forward as well.

The two of them danced incredibly well together. Most of their movements appeared to be improvised, but they matched each other almost effortlessly, as though they knew what the other was thinking. They were energetic yet fluid, and it wasn't long before most of the people present were entranced by the newlyweds.

The young couple seemed oblivious to the attention they were getting, however, having eyes only for each other. Eventually, they incorporated waterbending into the dance, moving the ice and snow between them into shapes. Hakoda was again struck with how well they fit together, and his suspicion that the two had really been one for quite some time was confirmed. Today had just been a formality, albeit an important one. He was forced to blink back tears as he watched his daughter, almost before his eyes, grow from a girl into a woman.

***

There was no true night at the South Pole during the winter solstice, but when the sun drew lower on the horizon, Aang and Katara knew it was time for them to end their part of the celebration and go off alone. Aang was both excited and nervous about the next thing he knew was expected of him. He was not a complete innocent – all Air Nomads were told the facts of life at the age of ten, earlier if they asked specific questions – but there seemed to be so much to potentially do wrong here. He was sure they would get through it, but he was really hoping to do better than that.

Taking a steadying breath, he offered his wife his arm, and she led him to a small structure somewhat away from the center of the village, amid the cheers of their family and friends. He knew beyond doubt that she had made dwelling herself, and he took some time looking around after he entered.

"I like this," he complimented her. "It's very cozy." And for a house made out of ice, it was. Woven rugs were spread on the floor to ward off the chill, and a pile of sleeping furs were off to one side. Aang's face grew warm when he noticed those, so he turned to other features, although there weren't many more. Subtle designs had been worked into the walls with waterbending, and some shallow shelves were arranged along one of them holding some items he recognized from their travels. Blue packs and sleeping rolls were stacked neatly in a corner, likely carrying the things she planned to take on their wedding journey. He noted that one of his traveling cases had also been brought here.

"Thank you," she said, kneeling down on one of the rugs. She looked so fantastic that Aang had a hard time keeping his eyes off of her. She pulled a parcel out of a fold of her clothing. "Hungry? My dad slipped this to me a few minutes ago." She unwrapped the bundle to reveal a variety of foods from the buffet.

"We'll have to thank him tomorrow," Aang said fervently as he grasped a fruit with one hand and a pastry with the other. "I'm starved."

"I think he noticed we were so busy talking to people that we didn't get to eat much," said Katara, also digging in. When they had assuaged their hunger, Katara got up and rummaged in one of her packs while Aang watched her curiously. She returned to him carrying a large, flat, gray stone.

"What's that?" he asked.

"It's a wedding present for you," she replied shyly. "I made it."

"But I didn't get you anything," he protested. He took the object in his hands and saw that she had used waterbending to carve their faces in the rock, leaning together as though enjoying a quiet moment. His eyes in the image actually seemed to gleam, and her hair looked like it was blowing in the wind. It was so overwhelming that he couldn't speak.

"You got me an engagement present and a birthday gift," she reminded him. "It was my turn to do something for you."

"This is amazing," he managed to choke out. Apparently, Sokka was the only one in the family who wasn't artistically gifted. "Thank you. Have I mentioned lately that I love you?" When he looked up, Katara was smiling brilliantly at him, clearly pleased with herself.

"Wait, that's not all," she said. She took the sculpture from him and set it on a shelf. Then she pulled a small amount of ice out of the wall, turned it to water, and soaked the rock. Aang caught his breath as an interlocking pattern of circles appeared, dark on the outside but light inside, covering the entire surface. The pattern obscured the carving but carried a beauty of its own.

"Katara, it's…" he trailed off, lost for words.

"It's a Petoskey stone," she explained, but Aang had already known that.

"I know, but I've never seen one this big. How did you find it?"

"A woman likes to keep a few secrets," she shrugged, looking at him archly. However, her cheeks were growing rosy under her dark skin, and he caught her glancing toward the sleeping area. "By the way, I love you, too."

The kiss that followed developed into other things, quickly sweeping away their nervousness as they allowed the unstoppable combination of love and nature take its course. They spent the chilly southern "night" warmed by furs, passion, and just a little firebending.

--

Author's Note: Part of this was from my own wedding day, where my plate was taken away before I'd eaten five bites of my entrée. As soon as we got to the hotel, we ordered room service and got some appetizers before we did anything else. To this day, buffalo wings are a favorite snack to share.;)

Review responses:

Suzune Tadashi: Great! Thanks!

Amber Pegasus: Well, here was the wedding. What did you think?

Katsumara: This is still one of the more popular fandoms, and I think it will get an infusion when the movies come out. It doesn't show signs of dying out, compared to other areas.

Private LL Church: I hope the wedding lived up to your expectations. I think it turned out to be pretty meaningful.

Marisol Maza: I'm glad Toko is growing on you. There were a few hints between them in the third season, but then he was just suddenly with Mai again, and The Duke hugged Toph.

birdland830: Well, thank you. This was really my first attempt at a Toko fic, and I was very conscious of the difficulties. I'm afraid I'm going to be skipping ahead from here, though.

Mithendel: Thank you very much! I'm glad you paced yourself reading this – I've had people tell me they stayed up all night to get through it, and while I'm flattered, I don't like to cost my readers sleep.

Light-Eco-Sage: Yes, but the wedding night would require an M rating (I've already done one version of a Kataang wedding night, based on Destiny's Call), so I just faded out and left it to the reader's imagination.

Avatarfanx2: No, I wasn't angry, I was just trying to explain myself. If they always planned the finale to happen on the day of the comet, they shouldn't have been so emphatic that that was the day to avoid at all costs. For a season, I thought Ozai would be defeated during the eclipse, but when that was in the middle of Season 3, it was automatically anticlimactic because you knew that wouldn't be the end. It made the second half of Season 2 and the first half of Season 3 seem kind of pointless.

Amira Elizabeth: I know what you mean. I try to show balance between Katara and Aang, having them both do caring things for each other, but I think I did better in Avatar in Training/Destiny's Call than I did here. I wasn't focusing so much on relationships in this story.


	45. Chapter 45: Honeymoon and Courtship

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I'm sorry this is late, but the last two weeks have been crazy for me. At least it's sort of a long chapter. Hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day!

On another note, I decided to call Toph's parents Lord and Lady Bei Fong because Mr. and Mrs. didn't sound right, and I got tired of calling them her mother and father.

**Honeymoon and Courtship**

Katara stretched languorously the next morning before snuggling back into the furs. The air in the dwelling was cold, but the furs were warm and still smelled faintly of the coupling they'd shared the night before. It took a moment before she realized that something was missing – namely, her new husband. She began to sit up and look around just as he returned through the doorway.

"Where were you?" she demanded, holding a seal skin up across her chest. She noticed that Aang was looking with interest at her bare shoulders. She was not used to sleeping naked, the cold weather of her home making it necessary to cover most of the skin at all times. In fact, she was not even used to _being_ naked. The concept of bathing your whole body at once and slipping into clean clothing was new to her, something she'd only learned on her recent travels. Even while bathing, her people only exposed one part at a time to prevent frostbite and other hazards.

"I had to…" he inclined his head outdoors, and she understood that he'd needed to use the facilities.

"Oh great, so do I," she remarked, making a face. She just wanted to stay here and snuggle, but bodily functions were intruding. She quickly pulled on a couple of layers, gave Aang a quick kiss, and left. While she was gone, she took the precaution of using waterbending to heal the chafing she discovered in her nether regions. She might as well be comfortable for the rest of their honeymoon. By the time she returned to the house, he had a nice fire going in the stone-lined fireplace.

"So, where are we going on our honeymoon?" she asked him, kneeling in front of the fire and helping him thaw some of the leftovers from the previous day. He'd been uncharacteristically secretive about his plans, which only increased her anticipation.

"At the moment, staying here for a week or so sounds pretty good," he replied lightly, giving a significant glance toward the sleeping furs. Katara blushed but responded in the same tone.

"That wouldn't work," she informed him. "The vegetarian food would run out within a couple of days."

"Then I could just feast on you," he offered, leaning in for a lingering kiss. Katara was both surprised and delighted by the new appetite Aang had apparently developed upon the consummation of their marriage. Even more surprising was the way her body responded almost automatically to him, as it was now. She had no doubt that their departure would be delayed some.

"Tempting, but not very nourishing," she said playfully when he released her. "Besides meat, we'll have nothing left but seaweed and stewed sea prunes." At the mention of those items, Aang made an involuntary face.

"I know you like them, but I'm sorry, I just don't," he apologized.

"That's okay. I don't expect us to be exactly alike."

"Well, I was thinking we'd spend a few days at the Cave of Two Lovers," Aang told her, looking at her sideways. "There's no danger now that we know the secret. Besides, I'm an earthbender now, so I could make any new tunnels we might need."

"That's absolutely perfect!" Katara approved, smiling as she remembered the last time they'd been there. Things had been awkward then, but there was little danger of that anymore. "I'm so glad you thought of it. What next?"

"Bumi invited us to stay at Omashu for a little while. After that, I'd just like to fly over the southern coast of the Earth Kingdom, stopping at little inns along the way."

"That could take weeks."

"Well, it is supposed to last a month, right?" Aang pointed out. "A honey _moon._"

"I suppose so." All at once, Katara remembered something that she'd wanted to share with her husband. "Oh! Guess what Suki told me yesterday!"

"I have no idea."

"She thinks she might already be expecting."

"That's great!"

"I know," Katara agreed, nodding. "She doesn't want to tell anyone else – except Sokka, of course – until she feels the baby move, but she wanted to tell me because she didn't know when she'd see us next. I offered to come stay with her when the time comes. I mean, if it's okay with you."

"I don't mind. I love kids, and I don't think the world's going to fall apart if we delay settling in at Ba Sing Se for a few months." They'd already agreed to live in the Earth Kingdom capital as a guest of the king for a year or two while peace hopefully took hold and the new plans for running both the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation were fully implemented. After that, Aang wanted to make the Eastern Air Temple into a home for them, maybe inviting some other friends from their journey to join them there.

A pause followed, and Katara remembered the rest of her conversation with her sister-in-law.

"You know, you might be in the family way yourself by then," Suki had pointed out.

"It's possible," Katara had admitted. "That's all the better, though. It's nice to have family around when you're having a baby."

"How soon do you think that might happen for us?" Aang asked, unconsciously echoing Katara's own thoughts and returning her to the present.

"In a hurry?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, and he laughed.

"Not really. I'm just curious."

Katara nodded, considering the question carefully. She was just entering what would probably be the most fertile five years of her life. Aang, on the other hand, was young and wouldn't reach full maturity for several years.

"It's possible we could be expecting right away," she said at last. "But I wouldn't be surprised if nothing happens for a year or so."

"A year of just us sounds pretty good," Aang grinned at her. "Besides, I think I need a lot of practice."

Their departure was indeed delayed.

***

Two years later, Chief Hakoda and Lady Mother Ursa were joined in a very similar ceremony at the South Pole. By this time, Zuko had reconciled himself to the relationship, and even Sokka didn't seem too concerned by the idea of being the stepbrother of his former enemy. Then again, between his wife, toddler son, and learning to be a leader for the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka was pretty busy.

Hakoda and Ursa had decided to remain with the Southern Water Tribe for two or three more years, at which time Hakoda would hand over the leadership of the tribe to his son and retire with his second wife to the Fire Nation. It seemed a reasonable compromise, and Zuko was happy with it. He'd had his mother near him for more than two years while he set up his government, and he wished the new couple the best. Besides, he had other things to occupy his attention.

Zuko lingered at the South Pole for a week before leisurely making his way north. He made a stop at Kyoshi Island, where he would be forever grateful that the people had forgiven him his rash torching of their village in his attempt to abduct Aang. That had happened over three years ago, and he knew that he was a completely different man now. A better man, he hoped.

Midwinter day found him in the town Toph was born in, looking up at the bluff where her residence was located. Wanting to observe the formalities, he sent a message up to the Bei Fongs, requesting an audience. He spent the next several hours pacing the inn where he was staying, waiting for a response. He didn't think he'd be turned away, but he suspected that Toph's parents would be surprised by the request. From what he knew about her family, she didn't seem to confide in them much. Besides, two years were a long time. She might have doubted whether he would come as he'd promised. His feelings could have changed.

What if hers had? He began to fret about it. She was only a girl when he'd last seen her, hardly more than a child. She'd had the chance to grow up by now, and if her parents had truly allowed the freedom she'd demanded upon her return, she might even have been able to meet other people of her town, spend time with boys nearer her age.

Zuko took a deep breath to steady himself, shoving aside the wave of jealousy that threatened to swamp him. If that had happened, he would let her go. He couldn't see that he had any choice in the matter. The whole reason he'd decided not to press her before was precisely _because_ she had been so young. He wanted her to be sure. He smiled faintly to himself. Then again, knowing her own mind had not ever seemed to be a problem for the self-proclaimed greatest earthbender in the world.

Finally, an invitation came to join the Bei Fongs for dinner that evening. The short notice and the formality of the event surprised him. He'd thought the first visit would be a lot more casual, maybe tea. Perhaps Toph had mentioned something about him after all. Or maybe it was simply his title that led the Bei Fong family to offer him such courtesy.

Dressed in formal Fire Nation attire, although not as elaborately decked out as he would be at court, he appeared at the Bei Fong manor on time with a small entourage of servants and bodyguards. Given the personal nature of his reason for being here, he would have preferred to come alone, but he had quickly learned that the Firelord didn't go anywhere alone. It upset his steward terribly if he disappeared unexpectedly. Besides, as the leader of his nation, nothing he did was truly personal anymore. He hoped that Toph would understand that, though, given the opulence of her own home and the social position of her family, he suspected she was accustomed to having every move scrutinized. If he remembered correctly, that was the main reason she'd taken to escaping into the mountain in the first place.

He was received in the dining room and was a little distressed to see that Lord and Lady Bei Fong were already seated, with servants poised to present their meal. Zuko had hoped that he might approach them a little more privately at the outset regarding his intentions toward their daughter. Now it appeared that he would have to make small talk through his nervousness until the meal was ended.

"We are about to have Toph's birthday supper," Toph's mother informed Zuko. "When she learned of your arrival, she indicated that she wished very much for you to be present."

"I am deeply honored by the invitation," Zuko replied, giving his most elegant court bow.

"Sorry I'm late," a female voice burst in before he had returned to an upright position. The timbre of the voice had matured, but the inflection was just as he remembered. Zuko straightened to take his first look at Toph in far too long. He stopped when he laid his eyes on her, unable to move or breathe for several seconds.

She was beautiful. He'd always known she would be, but the reality struck him like a physical blow. She did not seem to have grown much taller – the top of her head might just reach his chin – but the other differences were incredible. The pale green dress she wore was belted high, accentuating the new breasts that swelled out above while allowing her widened hips to give shape to the fabric that flared out below. Her face was less round, showing angles that reflected a slight similarity to her mother. The sides and front of her hair were gathered into a small bun high on the back of her head while the rest hung loose, framing her face perfectly. Her unseeing eyes were the same milky green, almost exactly matching the shade of her clothing. She had obviously taken a great deal of care with her appearance today, even though she herself couldn't see it. She must have enlisted help, and Zuko could only assume that the effort had been in anticipation of his arrival. He felt elated at the thought, even as his heart began to race with anxiety.

"Well, aren't you going to say anything?" she demanded, chin lifted defiantly. Belatedly, Zuko realized that she had addressed him. He noted, however, that she was wearing her signature smirk, and he had no doubt that she was acutely aware of his reaction to seeing her again.

For that matter, so was he. Almost painfully so, in fact, and he felt the color rise to his face at the knowledge that he could have few secrets from her. However, he managed to regain his dignity.

"It is a great pleasure to see you again, Toph Bei Fong," he greeted her, bowing again.

"Please join us," invited Lady Bei Fong, and Zuko and Toph both sat down at the table, where the soup course was quickly served.

"I want to wish you a happy fifteenth birthday," said Zuko to Toph, who was seated across from him. "I have brought a small gift for you, if you will accept it."

"With my parents' permission, I think I will. What is it?"

"You'll have to wait until after dinner." He'd thought very hard about this first gift, knowing that the usual things one gave a woman would not be right for her.

The conversation through the meal remained light, with Zuko and Toph recounting some of their adventures for her parents' benefit. Zuko did his best not to stare at the young woman too much. Although she might not notice it, her family would, and he wanted to make a good impression.

At last, supper was over, and they went to a much smaller sitting room for some tea. Zuko signaled to one of his servants, and the man brought a box forward. The Firelord's entourage then discreetly withdrew.

"Now for your gift," he informed Toph, taking the box and extending it to her. She took the box and frowned, probably trying to sense what was inside.

"What is it?" she demanded.

"Open it and find out." Zuko couldn't remember giving anyone a present before, and he felt giddy with anticipation, fervently hoping she would like it. Toph opened the container and withdrew a circlet made of the volcanic obsidian that comprised most of Zuko's home. The glassy rock had been fashioned into a necklace and set with small rubies that glinted like fire in the black background.

"This…this is what the Fire Nation is made of, isn't it?" she asked as she felt around the item.

"Yes, and right now, it's shaped to be a necklace, but since it's made out of earth, you can make it any shape you want." He'd recalled that she had worn an armband that was made of part of a rock that came from the sky – a meteorite. Sokka had saved the piece for her after he'd made his sword. Zuko thought that it would be meaningful for him to give her something that related to him but that she could also manipulate at will. His planning seemed to have been worthwhile when she began stretching the rock in her hands, being careful not to drop the precious stones. He made a mental note to give her emeralds next, to set off her eyes and the colors she customarily wore.

"Thank you," she said, returning it to a necklace shape again, though with her own style, and affixing to her own throat.

"Now, with your parents' permission," he said, nodding to the Bei Fongs, "I'd like to ask you a question."

"All right. Go ahead," Toph offered, and since her parents raised no objections, Zuko went on. He took one of the young earthbender's hands and lowered himself to one knee.

"Toph, I've thought of you every day since I last saw you," he told her earnestly. "You were the first person I ever met who didn't care what I looked like, the first person outside my family who was willing to find out who I really was. I think you even helped me find that out for myself. I – I love you, and I was wondering if you'd like to be the first earthbender in history to become Firelady." There was a brief pause, during which Zuko could hear his heart pounding thunderously in his ears.

"Well, you know I much I like being original," she said. Then, she smiled brilliantly down at him, making everything leading up to this moment worthwhile. "I was beginning to think you'd never ask." Taking that to be a yes, Zuko rose and embraced her, giving her just a brief, chaste kiss (mindful of the watchful eyes of her parents).

"What? Just like that?" Lord Bei Fong blustered, rising from his seat. "This is hardly a proper courtship!"

"Dad, we've known each other for more than two years already," Toph pointed out, looking annoyed. Before things could escalate any further, Zuko stepped in again.

"I realize that this must seem very sudden," he said apologetically, offering another bow. "Royal weddings take a lot of time to prepare, however. I expect that it will take six months before we actually take our vows. In the meantime, I promise that there will be all of the courtship you could wish. Visits, gifts, everything."

"There's also the matter of my dowry," Toph stated primly. "That could take some time to work out."

"Dowry?" repeated Zuko blankly.

"It's customary," his betrothed informed him. "It's also my birthright, as the only daughter of the Bei Fong family."

"I don't want or need a dowry," Zuko protested. He had the treasury of an entire nation at his disposal. All he wanted – all he _needed_ – was her.

"That's completely beside the point," she stated firmly, her face taking on that stubborn look that he remembered quite well. "The amount of dowry you request from me is a symbol of how much I mean to you."

Zuko could do nothing but gape at her for a few seconds. He spread his hands and cast an apologetic look towards her father, who was wearing an expression that managed to look both pained and resigned at the same time.

"How am I supposed to put a price on that?" he asked desperately.

"Try," she answered flatly. "My parents will counter, and eventually, a fair price will be decided upon."

"All right," said the Firelord helplessly. "I'll send two of my councilors to make the arrangements."

"Excellent," Toph's smile sprang into life again. "Tea, anyone?"

Finally, Zuko could relax. The difficult part was over, as far as he was concerned. The details of their wedding could wait.

--

Author's Note: The dowry argument was inspired from something I read, probably in one of David Eddings' books. The next chapter will briefly cover Toph and Zuko's wedding as well as being an epilogue for everybody.

Review responses:

Amber Pegasus: Great! Thanks!

Mithendel: Thank you very much. If this is a talent of mine, I am happy to be sharing it with hundreds of fellow Avatar fans.

Katsumara: The movie trailers look really good so far, and Shyamalan truly seems to love the series, so I think he'll make an effort to be faithful. I just hope he has more Kataang in the third film. Glad you liked the wedding!

Private LL Church: Wow, really? The best wedding scene? This story is as long as Destiny's Call in terms of chapters, but I believe the word count is still far less. I didn't originally intend to drag the ending out this much, but some readers said they wanted more detail about how everyone ended up, so this is deviating some from my original intention.

The Lonely Fox: Well, thank you. I appreciate that, and I hope you enjoy the ending.

Tetsu Deinonychus: Oddly, I felt like I had more time to read and write while taking college courses. I guess it was just easier to squeeze it in between classes when my schedule was more regimented. Anyway, I'm happy you're enjoying the story and my pairings. A Toko fic? I'll think about it.

arizony: Thank you again. I couldn't be doing this without people reading, so I appreciate all of the feedback. Destiny's Call remains my most popular story, but this one is catching up, and I'm glad I haven't lost my touch.

Marisol Maza: I just wanted to make their wedding simple and sweet, just like Kataang ought to be! Their lives have held so many complications already that I think they should be able to hold to their relationship for security.

Light-Eco-Sage: Yeah, I was doing online research on Native American weddings, and when I found that Cherokee blessing, it was so perfect! I just edited a bit and switched things around so the elements were mentioned in the same order Aang learned them.


	46. Chapter 46: Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: So here it is at last – the epilogue! I give this to you with mixed feelings, as I'm sure many of you will have reading it. On the one hand, it is a lengthy, sometimes emotionally draining work that I am glad to have behind me. On the other hand, it feels like the series is ending all over again, leaving a void that I will need to find something to fill.

I think I will be taking a break from Avatar fiction for a while (although I am working on a songfic that should be finished soon, and I may revive my Magic Kingdom and Avatar on Broadway collections from time to time). I will probably be posting some short ideas from various television shows and books, and I'm considering an extended work based on the book "The Magician's Ward" by Patricia C. Wrede. In the meantime, I thank you all for being such devotees of my work, and I hope you'll consider branching out to read my stories in other fandoms.

**Epilogue**

Firelord Zuko kept his word to the Bei Fongs, sending many gifts to Toph over the successive months: more jewelry, hair ornaments, bolts of cloth to make dresses out of, special shoes without soles so that she could appear to be wearing stylish footwear while maintaining her connection to the ground. He also visited as often as he could, getting to know the young woman Toph had become and developing their relationship in new ways.

By the time all was said and done, eight months had gone by, and they finally stood before General Iroh, the Dragon of the West, for the wedding ceremony. It would normally be the Fire Sages who presided over such an event, but Zuko felt better about having his uncle there instead. He'd already changed many traditions, so one more didn't seem to matter.

A silken cord was tied around Zuko and Toph's wrists in a symbolic binding. They said their vows, followed by affirmations from the guests. Then Iroh set a careful fire to the cord, incinerating it to ash to symbolize that their binding was now part of them and no longer needed the outward reminder. Finally, they exchanged gold rings as a symbol of their commitment to one another.

That night, Zuko took his bride to his bedchamber and proceeded a little hesitantly. She seemed so small and fragile that he'd decided to be gentle with her. His resolve only lasted, however, until she demonstrated rather forcefully that she was really not all that delicate.

***

Aang and Katara enjoyed a long and happy marriage. They did have some disagreements and misunderstandings along the way, but Aang's easygoing nature and Katara's recognition of her own volatility led them to make up their fights quickly. Katara was also careful not to let Aang leave on Avatar business with any harsh words. She knew better than most how easy it would be to lose him, and she always wanted to make sure he knew how much she loved him.

Katara suffered two miscarriages, which caused grief to both her and Aang. However, she managed to bring ten healthy children into the world, most of them airbenders. The settlement that they established at the Eastern Air Temple became a thriving community of people from all nations. Some of their children found their perfect mates there, while others had to travel to discover theirs. Aang even found a mate for Momo, so that the skies were soon filled with flying lemurs, many of which became pets to his children and grandchildren. He missed the sky bison, but it appeared that he had the last one of those, and he was happy to see some semblance of the life that this temple had once held.

When she was finally done having children, Katara formed a small waterbending school. Since Aang was spending a lot of his time training their young airbenders, it seemed only logical for her to teach the ones who were waterbenders. After that, it was a small step to add her niece and some other southern waterbenders to the instruction. While some waterbenders from the north had moved to the South Pole, Katara had wider experience than most of them and could offer the new techniques she and Aang had developed. Besides, none of the northern waterbenders who'd migrated were healers, and everyone agreed that was a useful skill. Some young swampbenders even made the journey to learn her style.

Both Aang and Katara fulfilled Aunt Wu's prophecy, living long enough to see several great-grandchildren brought into the world before crossing over to begin their final adventure in the next world.

***

The relationship between Sokka and Suki had a tendency to be confrontational, but they were solid for all that. Motherhood mellowed Suki considerably, and she threw herself into the tasks that would make her a good wife for the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. Visits from or traveling to relatives on both sides kept her occupied as well.

For his part, Sokka was not as patronizing of women as he'd once been and was open to the ideas that his warrior wife brought to the South Pole. She taught some of her fighting techniques to the females of her new tribe, awkward as some of them were while wearing heavy parkas. In turn, they taught her how to survive in their frozen surroundings.

Sokka also saw the sense in creating a new group of waterbenders for his tribe and encouraged more interaction between the South and North Poles. He was a little taken aback when one of his daughters turned out to be a waterbender, but he recovered, sending her to her Aunt Katara for training as soon as she was old enough.

***

Zuko and Toph were also far from having a placid relationship, but it worked for them. Zuko even found that sparring with Toph helped him to reach new levels of firebending, and it was an added benefit that their exertions usually led them to a bath and bed, not necessarily in that order. The couple ended up with seven children, more than any royal family in recent memory and a testament to the strength of their feelings for one another.

The people of the Fire Nation eventually learned to love and respect both their Firelord and their unconventional Firelady. The world was at peace, and even the common people prospered as their taxes were reduced. Toph was already accustomed to getting what she wanted, and the air of command came naturally to her. She became more of a co-ruler than simply the Firelord's wife, and Zuko relied on her advice on many occasions. Her special abilities also came in handy, since she could tell who was lying when people came to court to have grievances addressed.

Zuko banned the hunting of dragons, and the surviving pair finally felt safe enough to lay a clutch of eggs. The majestic creatures visited the capital occasionally, eventually presenting the Firelord with one of their hatchlings. It would be a decade or more before it would grow large enough to carry him in flight, but in the meantime, the sign of trust indicated a renewal of the relationship between the royal line and the majestic creatures who were credited with teaching people firebending. Beyond that, the symbol represented the promise of dragons once again filling the skies. There was even talk about dragons becoming the new bonded animals for Aang's airbender offspring, since the flying bison were now all but extinct. The union of Fire and Air would also be a symbol of the change in relations that had occurred since the Fire Nation slaughtered the Air Nomads a century earlier.

Finally, Firelord Zuko benefited greatly from the presence of his stepfather, who gave him more sound advice in an average week than his birth father had provided in a lifetime. It could honestly have been said that Fire, Earth, and Water all living together in the Fire Nation was a large part of what kept the global peace intact.

***

Princess Azula spent several years in prison before finally swallowing her pride and agreeing to work with her brother. She'd had a brief taste of being Firelord, and that remembrance wasn't easy to let go, despite the loss of her bending. Zuko and Aang had already agreed to make no attempt to return her firebending to her, no matter how reformed she appeared to be. Aside from the fact that Aang wasn't even sure it was possible, the temptation for her to use her power to challenge Zuko for the throne would be too great.

Azula lived at the palace for a time to re-acclimate to society, but Zuko soon realized that deciding what to do with her was not as easy as he'd thought it would be. He didn't want her too close to his growing family, knowing that she could be dangerous even without fire. On the other hand, she needed to be near enough for him to keep an eye on her. In the end, he made her the governor of an island that lay to the southeast of the main island of the Fire Nation, making sure that some people loyal to him were included among her servants and functionaries to report on anything suspicious. The arrangement worked out well. She never married, seeming to find solace in her independence.

***

Iroh happily ran his teashop in Ba Sing Se for many years, usually giving the Avatar and his companions free drinks and snacks whenever they passed through. He also hosted occasional reunions of those who had helped to end the great war.

However, there was no denying that he was an old man, so when his body was no longer up to the challenges of running a bustling business, he sold out to an employee who made nearly as good a cup of tea as his master and retired to the Fire Nation. Though he never forgot the loss of his son, he enjoyed being around his nephew's children in his declining years. He also managed to have some long talks with his niece, even if he was never certain whether he was getting through. His mind remained sharp to the end.

***

Hakoda and Ursa enjoyed a relatively quiet, retiring life in the Fire Nation. Finding romance after so much time alone was refreshing for both of them, and the fact that they'd been part of something great in the process of finding each other made it that much sweeter. They spent as much time as possible with their children and grandchildren, while always making time for each other.

***

Haru mastered earthbending, under the tutelage of his father, and became well respected in the village of his birth. However, his involvement with the Avatar had given him a desire to travel, so he wandered for a few years. He eventually found himself in the Fire Nation, where he began the improbable courtship of the irrepressible Ty Lee. After a great deal of teasing on her part and patience on his, they married and moved to the Eastern Air Temple. Much to her chagrin, she gave birth to six beautiful daughters. In an attempt to avoid the kind of youth she had fled from, she tried to encourage them all to develop individual skills and personalities.

***

Teo returned to the Northern Air Temple with his father and enjoyed a long, blissful life, spending as much time in the air as possible. Under their guidance, the settlement prospered, and he married a local girl. Although travel was difficult for him, he never forgot the Avatar and his friends and wrote frequent letters to them.

***

Longshot and Smellerbee spent seven years in the service of the Earth King before they decided to train their replacements and settle down. They married and joined the growing colony at the Eastern Air Temple, where they raised their family alongside the Avatar's.

***

The Duke and Pipsqueak decided to remain freedom fighters, traveling the Earth Kingdom and beyond in search of small fights that they could help the little people to win. They gathered others to them in the process, eventually founding a world-renowned mercenary company that was known to back up Avatar Aang in situations where diplomacy failed.

***

The Earth King spent several years learning how to be a good ruler, and his time incognito among the common people helped greatly with that. Although he showed no inclination to marry, his advisors pointed out that he needed an heir in order to avoid plunging Ba Sing Se into chaos upon his eventual death. He acceded to this wisdom, and after much considering and rejecting of candidates, Mai was selected as his bride.

To outside observers, this hardly seemed a suitable match, but she was from a good family, and another bond between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation seemed both prudent and wholly respectable. Besides, Mai had been at loose ends since Zuko had permanently broken off with her, and her stony demeanor tended to drive away potential suitors. Perhaps that actually made her perfect to be the wife of a ruler of earthbenders.

Mai dutifully produced two sons for the Earth King, after which the pair largely pursued their amusements separately. It was an amicable marriage, if not one filled with happy delirium. Mai would not have known what to do with such an excess of emotion anyway, and the Earth King was content to spend time with his pet bear when he wasn't conducting the business of the kingdom. He was eventually remembered as one of the most forward-thinking leaders Ba Sing Se had ever seen.

***

So the balance of the world was restored, and the various intermarriages of the world's leaders and war heroes helped to assure that international alliances would extend for generations. It was likely that the isolation of the elemental nations was entirely a thing of the past, a situation that Guru Pathik would no doubt approve.

Despite local issues that flared up from time to time, the peace was lasting, and Avatar Aang was able to turn over a unified world to his successor.

--

Author's Note: I hope that satisfactorily wrapped up the major and lesser characters. A part of me wanted to bring Song back in somewhere, but since I didn't include her in the story, I didn't think that made much sense. If I left off someone you thought should have been included, please let me know, and I may update. Again, thank you all for coming along with me on this alternate conclusion to the most beautiful animated series ever created.

Review responses:

Big A. Lovin kataang: I usually call it Toko, but I hope your friend enjoys it. I've already been requested to write a Toko-centric fic. I'm not sure yet whether I will.

Amber Pegasus: Well, he's had two years to think about it. He may not know exactly what he's getting into, but he's been watching the marriages of his friends all that time and is probably envious.

Mithendel: Indeed, all things must come to an end. I will probably throw in some oneshots here and there, but I'm not planning to begin another novel-length project right away, at least not for Avatar.

Katsumara: I can't tell anything about the acting yet, but the guy playing Zuko is an Indian comedian, so he should at least have the timing for Zuko's deadpan moments. I am concerned that the humor will be lost, since that was a large part of the show's charm.

Private LL Church: I know Toko is a bit of a stretch by modern standards, but they seem so well suited to one another, and their ages would be nothing unusual in prior centuries. 15-year-old Lydia Bennett (Pride & Prejudice) married 28-year-old Mr. Wickham, and let us not forget that Juliet was 14, Romeo 17.

The Lonely Fox: I admit to mixed feelings as well. I'm glad to finally be done with this big project, but I now have to decide what to write next.

Kataang-girl14: Well, I updated quickly, but sadly, it's the last chapter. Hope you enjoyed the story!Well, I updated quickly, but sadly, it's the last chapter. Hope you enjoyed the story!Well, I updated quickly, but sadly, it's the last chapter. Hope you enjoyed the story!

Animus of Masada: Sorry, but this is the end. I don't believe in overstaying my welcome.:) Seriously, though, I think for a story to be truly good, it has to have an ending. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Cpd x: I've been trying to keep this fic tastefully T rated. If you want more description on Aang and together for the first time, check out my oneshot "Wedding Night."

milktart lover: Actually, what pulled down life expectancy in earlier centuries was mostly the high rate of infant and child mortality. Secondarily, a lot of women died in childbirth. Men, if they survived the wars that were usually going on, often lived into their 60s. Still, marriages at 13 or 14 were quite common in the Middle Ages and still occur today in tribal cultures.

arizony: Sadly, yes, it is over. I was really just trying to write an alternate ending to the series, after all, plus tag on a ship-filled coda that covered things I'm sure the creators wouldn't have dreamed of. It is somewhat of a relief to finally have finished this, and I thank you for joining me for the ride.


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